Coronavirus: What are the risks of catching it from food packaging?

The following 5 steps critical analysis will be based on Lapo's chosen BBC News article about the risks of catching coronavirus from food packaging. I have found this article interesting and informative because not everyone considers reasonable the idea of contracting a virus from food packaging. If what it's consumed is "protected" inside by an outside cover.  

Description: Coronavirus can be transmitted through food packaging. Some studies have proved the virus can survive on different material surfaces for some time that goes from hours to days. The Covid-19 virus becomes stable at lower temperatures because some foods have to be transported frozen. It facilitates the way the virus reaches different locations. Nonetheless, the idea of transmission is still being questioned. Dr. Tang does not share this theory. In his words, "the outside world, environmental conditions change rapidly, meaning that the virus can't survive". Whereas, the professor of microbiology Emanuel Goldman does not deny this idea. Instead, he reflects on the low chances of contracting the virus by touching food packaging. Unless someone has sneeze or cough on the surface, leaving an open window of infection for anyone who touches the infected surface within two hours. Notwithstanding, infection by food packaging does not seem to be the main way the virus spreads. But, one should continue following CDC guidelines, and while it's not necessary to disinfect all your groceries. You must wash your hands soon after your finish manipulating groceries to avoid cross-contamination. 

Analysis: The article relies on some scientific opinions to weight perspectives. However, it still unsure whether Covid-19 could be transmitted through food packaging. Especially, because supermarkets can't control in its totality that people do not sneeze or cough near produce, neither can supermarkets closed an area for around 2 hours until the probability of contracting the virus has decreased. 

Interpretation: The transmission of Covid-19 via food packaging is not the main way to contract the virus. However, you must follow CDC guidelines and wash your hands thoroughly to prevent getting the virus. Especially, since there is no way to keep a track that helps determine if a person can contract the virus by touching food packaging or another way. 

Evaluation: The information seems to be reliable because it's weighting different scientific perspectives. However, the way that it's transmitted I do not feel its for all the community. But, only for those that have been taught to wash hands and produce before being consumed. And while for some this seems to be part of our common sense. The reality is that this simple practice is far from it. Because many know where their hands have been and know for sure are clean, they blindly trust to grab any produce or snack and eat it immediately, but they do not know if someone else who coughed onto their hands or sneeze touched such produce minutes before them. Hence, this is a great disadvantage for those who blindly trust in just scientific articles given to the community. 

Engagement: People ought to be communicated not the low chances of contracting the virus via food packaging but instead the importance to wash the produce or anything that they will consume before they do so. And if there are kids at home to do so with fruits soon as those have been bought. While it may seem a tad extremist until a certain point it's understandable since it will be according to how you consume things. Do you clean produce before you eat them? Do you wash your hands properly when at home before eating or grabbing something? What are the chances that someone at home takes an apple soon after you bought it and take a bite without washing it? There still a lot of factors involved to question whether the level of contracting the virus is high or low, and to do so, we must talk to the community, not as scientific or assuming they are well-educated. But in a way, everyone will understand and make conscience about it.

Comments

  1. Hi Mishell,

    I think you effectively outlined the article's main points and analyzed the text in-depth. I agree with your engagement section when you write that while people should be informed about the various means of transmission, whether or not it be through food packaging, the means to prevent contracting the virus should also be emphasised. Hopefully, this many months into a global pandemic, the average person would know how to properly wash their hands and clean their food, but there is never a bad opportunity to remind the readers of practical safety measures.

    I think your interpretation could have been expanded on a bit further. So what Covid-19 is not mainly transmitted through food packaging? What, then, was the authors point of writing the article?

    Your engagement paragraph was well done. You acknowledged the message the author of the article was trying to convey, and used it to draw an effective conclusion (no precaution is too much, however extreme it may seem.)

    Overall, I agree with the points you raised and I think you were successful in using the 5-step process.

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  2. Thank you for your analysis Mishell and for your comments, Mia. This is an extremely interesting and informing article, much clarification needs to be done for the general public in this area, this being a great concern of people at the moment. I appreciate that you acknowledge how the article approaches the topic by providing oppositional opinions from experts that the reader can then go to for more information. Your interpretation face, should have been focused on the article itself, and on how well you think reports this health-related issue. Aside form this, great analysis Mishell!

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