Should I wipe down

groceries during the pandemic?

Experts say it’s not necessary for most people.

The coronavirus spreads mainly through the respiratory droplets

people spray when talking, coughing, sneezing or singing. It’s why health

experts stress the importance of wearing masks and social distancing.

Experts still recommend cleaning surfaces — especially

frequently touched spots that infected people might have recently touched. That

will also help reduce risk from other germs that haven’t gone away in the

pandemic.

People caring for those at risk for severe illness if infected

might also want to take the precaution of wiping down any packages.

But experts say to keep

things in perspective. The virus is fragile and doesn’t survive easily outside

the body for long, they note. Tests finding it on surfaces might just be

detecting traces of the virus, not live virus capable of infecting people.

Early studies finding it could linger on surfaces for days were conducted under

laboratory conditions; the virus likely couldn’t survive that long in real

life.

Dr John Brooks, chief medical officer for the COVID-19 response

at the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said people should do

what makes them comfortable. But he said if people unpack groceries without

touching their faces and then washing their hands afterward, “I think that may

be sufficient.”