Life is difficult right now with the coronavirus pandemic going on. For one thing, you’re stuck inside most of the time. But if you do go out, you have to be aware you’re putting yourself in a risky situation. That’s especially true when heading to the grocery store — or even when having items delivered.
For that reason, Dr. Jeffrey VanWingen went online to tell people how they can better protect themselves when they’re doing just that…grocery shopping. After all, the last thing you want is to get sick when all you’re trying to do is feed yourself and stay healthy. That’s why everyone should pay attention to these tips.
Wipe down the cart
As soon as you go into the grocery store, the first thing you want to do is wipe down the shopping cart, especially the handles and other areas commonly touched. Most stores have a dispenser for free wipes at the front door. Even then, it never hurts to carry disinfectant wipes with you at all times. That’ll help prevent you from getting sick if someone with the virus touched the cart before you.
Make a list of the items you need
You shouldn’t touch food in the grocery store unless you plan to buy it. Otherwise, you could contaminate a package, put it back on the shelf, and spread the virus to the individual who buys that specific product. By preparing a list beforehand, you prevent that from happening.
Get two weeks’ worth of groceries
Remember, any time you go into the grocery store, you put yourself at risk. If possible, try to minimize the amount of time you shop. To avoid making multiple trips to the store, buy the groceries you’ll need for about two weeks. By doing that, you could also purchase some items in bulk, which is a great way to save money.
Don’t bring food into your house right away
Another great piece of advice from Dr. VanWingen is to avoid bringing the groceries inside your house right away. That’ll could prevent you from touching contaminated food packaging. Other than perishable items, keep the groceries in your garage or on your porch. If you can let them stay there for three days, any risk of the virus being on the packages decreases substantially.
Wipe down packages
The COVID-19 virus can live on different surfaces for quite some time, including food packaging. So, you’ll want to wipe everything down with disinfectant. It’s important for you to do this before you put any items in your cabinet or pantry. That way, you won’t get the virus on your hands only to spread it by touching other things.
Throw away unnecessary packaging
You don’t know who’s touched the packages your food came in. Dr. VanWingen explains this virus can live on the surface of many of these objects, and for days. So, it’s a good idea to throw out what you don’t need. As illustrated by the doctor, place cereal in either a storage container or zipped plastic bag, followed by throwing the cardboard packaging in the trash.
Hand washing is critical
In between everything you do during this process, wash your hands with hot soapy water for at least 20 seconds. While doing that, make sure you carefully clean every part of your hands. The doctor stresses this in particular as a reminder so people don’t forget.
The advice in this video is going viral
Dr. VanWingen posted his video on March 24 and within just four days, it’s already been viewed more than seven million times. From that, it’s easy to see people want good information about how to keep themselves healthy. Hopefully, viewers will listen to the advice in the video so they can do their part in “flattening the curve.”
Watch the video for yourself to get more information on how you can protect yourself from the coronavirus and how it relates to food.
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Source: YouTube
