Doctor shares how to safely get groceries to avoid brining bacteria and disease home
This information could save lives.
Cedric Jackson
04.01.20

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.

YouTube Screenshot/Jeffrey VanWingen
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YouTube Screenshot/Jeffrey VanWingen

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.

YouTube Screenshot/Jeffrey VanWingen
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YouTube Screenshot/Jeffrey VanWingen

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.

YouTube Screenshot/Jeffrey VanWingen
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YouTube Screenshot/Jeffrey VanWingen

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.

YouTube Screenshot/Jeffrey VanWingen
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YouTube Screenshot/Jeffrey VanWingen

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.

YouTube Screenshot/Jeffrey VanWingen
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YouTube Screenshot/Jeffrey VanWingen

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.

YouTube Screenshot/Jeffrey VanWingen
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YouTube Screenshot/Jeffrey VanWingen

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.

YouTube Screenshot/Jeffrey VanWingen
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YouTube Screenshot/Jeffrey VanWingen

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.”

YouTube Screenshot/Jeffrey VanWingen
Source:
YouTube Screenshot/Jeffrey VanWingen

Watch the video for yourself to get more information on how you can protect yourself from the coronavirus and how it relates to food.

Please SHARE this with your friends and family.

Source: YouTube

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