Should you get groceries delivered? Wash them? Tips for safe food shopping amid fears.
We’re all quickly learning the things we can do without: live sporting events and concerts, trips to the library, even visiting restaurants and bars.
But no matter what happens as we try to contain the spread of COVID-19 coronavirus, we’ve got to have groceries. Exactly what procuring groceries might look like in the weeks and months to come, we’re not sure. But for now, it means either trips to the store or using a delivery service.
We’ve put together some tips on how to make these experiences as safe as possible — for you and everyone else.
Delivery
Experts recommend that the elderly and the immunocompromised use a delivery service if they can. Sign up for the service through your favorite grocery store and then pick out the items you need online. You pay for your groceries online, so there’s no exchange of money at the time of delivery.
Even though it’s safer than getting out, there are still rules to follow.
No contact: Most grocery stores use a delivery service like Instacart or Shipt, and they’re all instituting a “no-contact delivery” system. That means you will not — and should not — have actual contact with the delivery person. They should leave the groceries by your door and walk away.
No cash: Cash is filthy. If you tip, do it on the app.
Note: Due to overwhelming delays during this time, expect delays on deliveries. It may take you a few days to get your groceries instead of a few hours, but you will get them.
You might also have a friend or relative deliver groceries to you. Even though you know the person, try to have as little contact as possible.
[These stores offer special shopping hours for seniors because of coronavirus].
Curbside pick-up
You can also order your groceries online and then have them brought to your car.
No contact: The no contact rule applies here too. Don’t take groceries directly from the store employee. Consumer Reports also recommends that you get out of the car and open the car door yourself, so that the store employee doesn’t have to touch the door handle.
No cash: Many grocery stores don’t allow tipping, but those that do should allow for a place on the app to do that. Avoid handling cash (and if you do, clean your hands immediately after).
In-store shopping
If you’re doing your shopping in the store, here are some things to keep in mind.
Shop off-peak hours: Try to avoid times that are typically busiest. Go early in the morning or later at night to avoid crowds. (Dollar General and Target are two stores offering special early shopping hours for seniors; Dollar General sets aside the first shopping hour of each day and Target sets aside the first shopping hour of each Wednesday.) Do your best to stay 6 feet away from other shoppers, per CDC recommendations. Passing someone with a cart should be OK, but don’t linger on an aisle next to another shopper.
Cart wipes: Sometimes the stores run out, so take your own disinfecting wipes. Put a few wipes in a resealable plastic bag or small plastic box and take them with you. Wipe down any area on the cart you might touch. While inside the store, do your best not to touch your face, your phone or purse (if you do need to touch your phone or purse, use hand sanitizer before doing so, especially if you have touched things inside the store).
No cash: Use a debit or credit card to pay, or an electronic payment service such as Apple Pay or Google Pay.
Do you need to wash your groceries when you get home?
Ben Chapman, a professor and food safety expert at N.C. State University, says that washing or cleaning our groceries when we return home from a store really isn’t necessary, since food and food packaging has not been identified as a risk factor, according to available research.
“I don’t think right now that washing or trying to sanitize a cereal box is an effective way to stop the pathway of the transmission of COVID-19,” Chapman told The News & Observer on Tuesday.
The first and last defense, he says, is hand-washing and hand-sanitizing.
“When I grab my cereal box and fill my bowl and put the box away, I wash my hands,” he said.
And as far as washing fruits and vegetables before consuming, that’s something that has always been recommended, he said.
Even so, if people feel better cleaning their groceries when they get home, it’s fine to do it.
“It’s not gonna hurt, especially in this time of anxiety,” he said. “If it makes someone feel better to wash them, they they should do that.”
The real shopping risk?
“Being around people who are experiencing symptoms. That’s Number 1 at the top with a bullet,” Chapman said.
BEHIND THE STORY
MOREWhat you should know about the coronavirus
The coronavirus is spreading in the United States. Officials are urging people to take precautions to avoid getting sick, and to avoid spreading the disease if they do contract it.
Click the drop-down icon on this card for more on the virus and what you should do to keep yourself and those around you healthy.
What is coronavirus?
Coronavirus is an infection of the respiratory system similar to the flu. Coronaviruses are a class of viruses that regularly cause illnesses among adults and children, but this outbreak has spawned a new disease called COVID-19, a particularly harsh respiratory condition that can lead to death.
Health officials believe COVID-19 spread from animals to humans somewhere in China. It spreads among humans by physical person-to-person contact, including via coughs. That’s why health officials urge sick individuals to avoid contact with other people.
For more information, visit the website for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
What are the symptoms?
Symptoms are similar to the flu and include fever, coughing and shortness of breath.
How can I stop the spread of the coronavirus?
Wash your hands regularly with soap and water, and cover your mouth and nose when you cough or sneeze.
If you develop symptoms similar to the coronavirus, you should seek medical attention. Stay home from work or school and avoid contact with others. It can take up to 14 days after coming into contact with the virus to develop symptoms.
COVID-19 is a new condition and there’s much about the disease we still don’t understand. For now, taking precautions is the best way to stop the spread of the coronavirus.
This story was originally published March 17, 2020 at 4:45 PM with the headline "Should you get groceries delivered? Wash them? Tips for safe food shopping amid fears.."
