Can the coronavirus survive on food?

The CDC notes that coronaviruses, as a group of viruses, generally survive poorlyTrusted Source on food products and packaging. However, they do acknowledge that you should still be careful while handling food packaging that could be contaminated.

According to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), there are currently no reportsTrusted Source that food or food packaging is associated with SARS-CoV-2 transmission. They also note that it’s still important to follow proper food safety practices.

It’s always a good rule of thumb to wash fresh fruits and vegetables thoroughly with clean water, particularly if you plan to eat them raw. You may also want to use disinfecting wipes on plastic or glass food packaging items that you’ve purchased.

It’s important to wash your hands thoroughly with soap and warm water in food-related situations. This includes:

• after handling and storing groceries
• before and after preparing food
• before eating

Can the coronavirus live in water?

It’s unknown exactly how long SARS-CoV-2 can survive in water. However, a study from 2009Trusted Source investigated the survival of a common human coronavirus in filtered tap water.

This study found that coronavirus levels dropped by 99.9 percent after 10 days in room temperature tap water. The coronavirus that was tested was more stable at lower water temperatures and less stable at higher temperatures.

So what does that mean for drinking water? Remember that our water systems treat our drinking water before we drink it, which should inactivate the virus. According to the CDC, SARS-CoV-2 hasn’t been detectedTrusted Source in drinking water.

Source : Medically reviewed by Meredith Goodwin, MD, FAAFP on April 29, 2020 New — Written by Jill Seladi-Schulman, PhD