Although the CDC notes that there is no evidence to support the transmission of COVID-19 through food, it does not mean that you are safe from being infected with the new coronavirus when eating.
Whether it’s dining out, ordering takeaway or delivery, or handling food after shopping, there are several eating habits that can put you at risk for COVID-19, according to the Mayo Clinic.
Here are the seven most common dietary risks you should avoid during the COVID-19 pandemic due to your links to contracting the virus, as explained by the Mayo Clinic. Keep reading and, to learn more about healthy eating, don’t miss the 11 best tips for safe grocery shopping amid concerns about coronavirus
The Mayo Clinic recommends that if you go to a restaurant, don’t stay too long. The more time you spend around people without masks, the more exposure time, the more of the virus you breathe in and the more it can accumulate and infect you. The Mayo Clinic reports that being exposed to an infected person who is less than 2 meters for a total of 15 minutes in a 24-hour period may increase the risk of contracting COVID-19.
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Going to a restaurant when it is busiest increases the likelihood that you will come into contact with a person infected with COVID-19. The Mayo Clinic recommends that you avoid eating out during busy hours of the day or night.
While you are not eating at a restaurant where you can be exposed to someone infected with COVID-19 for long periods of time, there are still some risks associated with contacting someone with COVID-19 when ordering take-out or delivery; however, taking proper precautions will significantly reduce this risk. The Mayo Clinic suggests that you “try to pay online or over the phone to limit contact with others” when ordering takeaway food.
For delivery, “ask to leave it outside your home in a safe place, such as your building’s porch or lobby.” Whether for take-out or delivery, stay at least 6 feet away from the person handling your food. Finally, “after taking the food home, wash your hands or use a hand sanitizer”.
Of course, you need to remove your face mask to eat, but the Mayo Clinic recommends that you “cover your face as much as possible when you’re not eating or drinking”.
There are some unpleasant side effects of drinking too much alcohol, which include liver problems and weight gain, but there is an additional side effect of drinking too much alcohol to become hyperconscious during COVID: it can decrease the likelihood that you will follow safety measures, according to the Mayo Clinic.
Although Mayo Clinic doctor William F. Marshall, III MD, notes that there is no evidence that someone contracted the virus that causes COVID-19 after touching food containers and packaging, there are some best practices to follow when ordering food for travel. This includes transferring food to a clean plate using clean utensils, washing your hands again before eating, and cleaning and disinfecting all surfaces containing take-out containers.
Currently, there is no evidence to support food-associated COVID-19 transmission, according to the CDC. However, there is some evidence to support that it is possible to contract COVID-19 by touching a surface or object (such as food) that contains the virus and then touching its face; however, this is not the main way of spreading the virus.
“The biggest risk of getting the food virus would be if you touch the foods that were exposed and then touch your face,” said Dr. Abinash Virk, an infectious disease specialist at the Mayo Clinic. “In this sense, it is best to wash your hands before and after handling food and to wash fruits and vegetables with peels before eating them.”
To be as safe as possible, the Mayo Clinic suggests following the guidelines for best food safety practices: wash all fruits and vegetables well before eating them, placing them under water, rubbing the products with skin or thick skin with a clean product brush and wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water as soon as you get home from the warehouse. It is possible to harness the power of food to protect you from the coronavirus. See these 11 best foods that boost immunity to fight COVID-19, Say Doctors.