Coronavirus: Is it time to disinfect mail and packages?
April 6, 2020, 8:18 am

Coronavirus: Is it time to disinfect mail and packages?

An Amazon delivery person walks in Times Square following the outbreak of Coronavirus, in the Manhattan borough of New York City. (Reuters)

As more countries impose partial and full lockdowns to slow the spread of coronavirus, more people are likely to turn to online shopping as the ability to physically shop for goods becomes increasingly limited. Coronavirus

Is it now time to disinfect packages and mail from services like Amazon, and other local services such as Noon, when it arrives on the doorstep? Researchers and experts give competing answers.

COVID-19 can last up to three days on certain materials, a mid-March report from the National Institutes of Health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), UCLA, and Princeton University found.

A study by the New England Journal of Medicine on March 17 suggested that the virus could live up to a day on cardboard.

According to the World Health Organization, the risk of transmitting the virus through commercial goods is very low.

“The likelihood of an infected person contaminating commercial goods is low and the risk of catching the virus that causes COVID-19 from a package that has been moved, traveled, and exposed to different conditions and temperature is also low,” the WHO said in its Q&A on coronaviruses published last month.

In places like the United Arab Emirates, where a 24-hour restriction on movement has been imposed, except for essential tasks like going to the supermarket or pharmacy, the likelihood of people ordering perishable food items online through apps like Instafood and Amazon increases.

According to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Q&A on coronaviruses, there is no evidence to suggest that food, food containers, or food packaging are linked to transmission of COVID-19. Coronavirus

“Like other viruses, it is possible that the virus that causes COVID-19 can survive on surfaces or objects. For that reason, it is critical to follow the four key steps of food safety—clean, separate, cook, and chill,” the FDA advised.

“If you are concerned about contamination of food or food packaging, wash your hands after handling food packaging, after removing food from the packaging, before you prepare food for eating and before you eat,” the FDA added in its guidelines.

According to the CDC, it may be possible for a person to contract COVID-19 by touching a surface or object, like a packaging container, that has the virus on it and then touching their face, but added that “this is not thought to be the main way the virus spreads.” Coronavirus

“In general, because of poor survivability of these coronaviruses on surfaces, there is likely very low risk of spread from food products or packaging,” the CDC added.

However, Jay Carney, Amazon's senior vice president of global corporate affairs, told CNN’s Jake Tapper that “there is evidence that the virus can live on packaging for some time."

According to Carney, Amazon has been advising customers to wipe down packages with disinfectant to ease their minds. If customers still feel unease over handling their packages, Amazon has advised people to leave the package outside for a time before bringing the package indoors and opening it. levant

source: Ismaeel Naar levant

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BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has announced its sponsorship of the “Innovation and Sustainable Technology Solutions Competition (GU - IST Solutions), hosted by Gulf University at its main campus.
This strategic sponsorship reflects BENEFIT’s active role in advancing technological innovation and fostering sustainable solutions to future challenges. It also seeks to empower Bahraini youth by enhancing their skills, capabilities, and competitiveness in innovation and solution development—contributing meaningfully to the broader goals of sustainable development across all sectors.
As part of BENEFIT’s active involvement in the competition, the company has announced that Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager of Public Relations and Communication, will serve on the competition’s supervisory committee. Her upcoming participation reflects BENEFIT’s forward-looking commitment to championing academic and professional excellence.
Commenting on the occasion, Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager of Public Relations and Communication at BENEFIT, said, “We are privileged to support this pioneering initiative, which aligns seamlessly with BENEFIT’s enduring commitment to fostering innovation and nurturing the potential of Bahrain’s youth. Our participation is rooted in a deep sense of social responsibility and a firm belief in the pivotal role of innovation in shaping a sustainable future. Through such platforms, we seek to empower the next generation with the knowledge, skills, and foresight required to develop impactful solutions that address future challenges, in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals 2030.”
Dr. Aseel Al Ayash Dean of the College of Engineering in Gulf University commented, “We extend our sincere gratitude to BENEFIT for their generous sponsorship and support of the Innovation and Sustainable Technology Solutions Competition. This contribution plays an instrumental role in helping us achieve the strategic goals of this initiative, namely, cultivating a culture of innovation and sustainability, encouraging efforts that address the imperatives of sustainable development, and enhancing the practical and professional capabilities of our students and participants.”
The event will bring together a diverse spectrum of participants, including secondary school students, university undergraduates, engineers, industry professionals, entrepreneurs, academic researchers, and subject matter experts representing a wide range of disciplines.
The competition seeks to inspire participants to develop and present innovative, sustainable technologies aimed at addressing pressing environmental, social, and economic challenges. It encourages the formulation of business models that integrate advanced technological solutions with core principles of sustainability. Moreover, it serves as a platform for emerging leaders, entrepreneurs, and innovators to contribute to the advancement of the Sustainable Development Goals, promote the ethos of responsible technology, and demonstrate its transformative potential across various sectors.
Attendees will have the opportunity to view a series of project presentations submitted by participants, covering diverse areas such as eco-friendly product design, smart and sustainable innovations, renewable energy technologies, water conservation and management, waste minimisation and recycling, green architectural solutions, and sustainable transportation systems. Outstanding projects will be formally recognised and awarded at the conclusion of the event.