It’s a shocking headline, we know.
China reported they found coronavirus on chicken imported from Brazil. But experts say we shouldn’t panic over contracting COVID-19 from food.
China says the virus was detected on a surface sample from a batch of chicken wings. So far, no one who came in contact with the package has tested positive for coronavirus and authorities say they are tracing products from the same shipment back to the buyers.
But right now infectious disease experts are not too concerned about our food supply. One of the big reasons we’ve learned as this pandemic has progressed, this virus is much more likely to be airborne than foodborne.
Coronavirus is largely spreading through respiratory droplets. And while it is possible to catch it from a contaminated surface, regular hand washing has severely limited that spread.
The World Health Organization also says it is highly unlikely coronavirus could survive the shipping process.
Although it can survive for a few hours or even days on certain surfaces, it would most likely be destroyed once it is exposed to different conditions and temperatures.
And if you're still concerned a virologist at Columbia University also told CNN that our stomach acids will kill any coronavirus that lingered on food.