Can coronavirus be transmitted through parcels

Good to know

During a pandemic of a new type of flu, it is preferable to make purchases at home "on the couch", without visiting crowded places. Therefore, the question of whether the coronavirus is transmitted through parcels is now one of the most relevant.

Is the coronavirus transmitted through a parcel from China?

Due to the popularity of online shopping in China, my biggest concern is the likelihood of transmission of COVID-19 through items from Aliexpress. In order to calmly order goods on the Internet site, it is worthwhile to understand this issue in more detail.

How does the virus spread?

An infected person spreads the infection around him by sneezing or coughing. The droplets of saliva containing the virus are deposited on surrounding objects. WHO recommends that you wash your hands as often as possible, so that after contact with an infected surface, the coronavirus does not enter the body.

The risk of contracting coronavirus increases sharply if you stand from a coughing, sneezing infected person at a distance of closer than one meter. But even without a cough, just during a conversation, particles of saliva can fly to the face of a healthy interlocutor and penetrate into his body. SARS-CoV-2 can be transmitted from sick to healthy, namely, with hugs, kisses.

If you grab the railing in the entrance, which an infected person was holding with his hands a few minutes ago, the virus will spread to your hands, and then to the mucous membranes.

What items are more at risk of infection?

The main route of spread of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus is through airborne droplets. Therefore, the answer to the question whether it spreads when sneezing is in the affirmative.

There is a high risk of infection not only through close physical contact with an infected person, but also through contact and household contact, in contact with things that have gotten the patient's saliva:

through household items (towels, dishes, toys);
parts of furniture that the infected person came into contact with;
through handrails, armchairs and glass, handles and racks, in cars, buses, trains, subways, airplanes.
through door handles, elevator buttons, railings in an apartment building;
through banknotes and coins;
through terminals and ATMs;
steering wheel of a car, bicycle, scooter, motorcycle;
house and car keys;
PC mouse;
water tap valve,

Cell phones and other devices and gadgets, to which the virus is transmitted from the fingers, are especially dangerous.

A person does not necessarily get sick if they touch the surface where the virus is located. The immune system turns on and destroys the "stranger". If the immunity is high enough, it will cope with the infection.

How long does the virus remain viable outside the body of a living organism?

The representative of the expert group from China, which dealt with the issue of the viability of the respiratory virus, announced the conclusion of scientists: the coronavirus lives in the external environment:

2-3 days on plastic, glass, furniture;
5 minutes - one hour on cotton fabric.

The explanation is simple: the virus lives only in aerosol (droplet) form. After the saliva dries up, it loses its activity. The remaining particles of the virus will no longer be able to harm a person. Naturally, on a smooth, for example, glass surface, the drop will dry longer than on cotton gloves.

Is it true that the virus dies from high temperatures? Yes, this dependence has been confirmed.

According to laboratory studies, if the virus is exposed to temperatures above + 56 ℃, it completely collapses within a few minutes.

What disinfectants is the coronavirus afraid of?

The most effective disinfectant is alcohol (at least 60%), it doesn't matter whether it is technical or food grade. It is categorically not recommended to take it inside. Technical is life-threatening, food reduces immunity and vigilance.

If you have not stocked up with alcohol or alcoholic solution for injection (aseptol), do not be discouraged. All surfaces that confuse you can be treated with hydrogen peroxide, chlorhexidine, miramistin, whiteness solution, strong soda solution. If you are the owner of a steam cleaner and an iron with a steam generator, protect yourself by treating the surface with steam, and then dry the surfaces. Choose a disinfectant taking into account the result of their interaction with the treated surface. For example, chlorine leaves white spots.

Keep disinfectants out of the reach of children and the elderly who might accidentally ingest them.

Can you get infected through parcels?

Experts say that airborne transmission of this dangerous infection is impossible. But does the coronavirus live on parcels if it has been in the hands of an infected person? Yes, the virus can be transmitted if you are given it by a sick postal worker and you don’t wash your hands after that. But a similar situation can happen not only with the package, but with any object that has been in the hands of an infected person.

Since the coronavirus remains viable for some time on open surfaces, outside the human body, it is theoretically possible to pick up the virus through the items of the parcel that the sick person sneezed at.

Infectionists remind that the virus has a limited life resource outside the human body. Therefore, you should not panic, the postage takes a long time, the virus in a dry environment will die by that time.

Parcels Wildberries, Aliexpress, which go to the consumer for more than five days, are considered safe. This is the answer to the question of whether a virus from China can be transmitted through a package.

Output

There is no reason to be afraid of Chinese parcels, as they go long enough. After visiting any public place, you should thoroughly wash your hands with soap and water. Therefore, after you have received the package, unpack it, dispose of the packaging, and everything inside can be wiped with any disinfector.

But this is, rather, a "safety net" and a psychological move. For a month of walking through postal communication centers and customs, the virus dries up and loses its viability.

In many regions of Russia, a self-isolation regime has now been introduced. For this period, the reception of parcels in Russia and abroad was temporarily stopped at the communication centers. The same restriction applies to sending things through Jum parcels.

Due to the fact that public transport does not work, and citizens in regions where the decree on self-isolation is in force are allowed to leave the house only when absolutely necessary (for groceries, to the pharmacy in the store in the nearest quarter), the parcels, apparently, will be at the checkpoints. issuance.