An expert removes us from doubts about what we should do both at the supermarket and at home to avoid the dreaded Covid-19
There are many widespread myths surrounding the coronavirus and preventing its spread. We know people who go out equipped with diving goggles to go to the supermarket, others who only do it with a mask, others who do not use gloves, there are those who wash thoroughly and with chlorine all the food they eat and there are those who leave the containers outside from home for fear of contagion.
Well, what is true in all this? Do we really need to take so many precautions? Today we are going to focus on the issue of food and the food that we buy in the supermarket and then introduce into our homes.
Is it necessary to wash all the food to avoid the spread of coronavirus?
"You really don't need to wash all fruits and vegetables with anything before you eat them," says Jeffrey Farber, professor of food science at the University of Guelph. "To date, there is no scientific evidence linking the transmission of Covid-19 to food or its packaging," he added to the National Post.
The expert indicates that we have to wash food and behave the same as we would in times of pandemic absent: " Using cold tap water to wash fruits and vegetables before consuming them is enough."
Using cold and tap water to wash fruits and vegetables before consuming them is enough
There are people who these weeks are washing their food in the sink with food bleach, chlorine, iodine, bicarbonate and vinegar, hydrogen peroxide ... And according to Farber, who was previously director of the Office of Microbial Hazards at Hospital Canada, no not only is it not essential, but it is also "dangerous for reasons not related to the coronavirus. By putting food in the sink, we can cause cross contamination with bacterial pathogens."
"People, generally, do not tend to wash their sinks very well, or to clean them as often, so washing fruits and vegetables there is a mistake, and there may be traces of dishwasher product.
And what do we do with food packaging?
The expert points out that washing our hands with soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds, before and after handling packaged food, and every time we eat, is enough.
It is therefore not necessary to wash the containers with alcohol or disinfect them as many people do.
You don't need to wash the containers with alcohol or disinfect them, as many people do. We only have to wash our hands after touching them
What to do at the supermarket to avoid contagion
Farber indicates that it is best to order online, both for collection at the store and at home, since the movements that we will make will be less and, therefore, there will be less risk of contagion.
If it is not possible for us and we have to go yes or yes to the supermarket, it is best to go to one that we know very well, so as not to be wandering the aisles looking for things.
The safest thing is to stay in the establishment for as little time as possible, respect the minimum distance of two meters with other people and wear gloves when entering and take them off as soon as we get home.
"We have to refrain from physically evaluating fruits and vegetables with our hands, as we did before. You have to take the ones that look the best and that's it," Farber recalls.
When we get home with the purchases, we should leave the bags on the counter and wash our hands with soap and water. After all the purchases are put away, we can disinfect the counter area where the bags were and wash our hands again.
And when we go to eat, wash our hands again, as, in theory, we all did before the pandemic. Weight gain is a common side effect for people who take insulin a hormone that regulates the absorption of sugar (glucose) by cells. This can be frustrating because maintaining a healthy weight is an important part of your overall diabetes management plan. The good news is that it is possible to maintain your weight while taking insulin.
