With non-essential stores around the country closing and grocery stores jam packed—despite health officials pleas for social distancing—consumers across the country are finding it more difficult to get the necessities that they need. Because of this, more and more consumers are turning to online shopping retailers like Amazon to fulfill their needs.
Shopping online is a great way to practice social distancing to help protect yourself, your family, and your community. Despite this, some consumers still worry about shopping online during the coronavirus pandemic. Fears that their packages could be contaminated with the coronavirus seem to be the main concern.
Most online shoppers, however, have little cause for concern. A study done by the New England Journal of Medicine states that the coronavirus can survive up to four hours on copper, up to 24 hours on cardboard, and up to two to three days on plastic and stainless steel. According to the Centers for Disease Control, there is a “very low risk of spread from products or packaging that are shipped over a period of days or weeks at ambient temperatures.” The World Heath Organization also states that 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.”
Another thing to keep in mind is that the virus breaks down considerably over time, so there would only be small traces of the virus left on some surfaces after several hours. By the time most packages leave the warehouse and reach a consumer’s doorstep, there’s a good chance that the virus would have died off completely. In most cases, the coronavirus would only be on Amazon packages and other packages if an infected delivery driver had poor personal hygiene, didn’t wash his hands, and possibly sneezed or coughed on your package right before dropping it on your doorstep.
Despite the fact that the chances of the coronavirus being on packages, some consumers understandably still worry. In this case, there are a few things that you can do to make sure that your packages are safe during the coronavirus pandemic.
First, leave your packages outside for several hours to a day, if possible. By the time you move them inside, all traces of the virus should be gone completely. If you are unable to leave your packages outside on your doorstep or porch, move them into your garage or just inside your door and wash your hands afterward. You can also place your package inside a plastic bag for extra protection during this waiting time.
Most delivered packages will come with the product in its original package inside of a cardboard box. In the case of Amazon packages, many products have already been inside of a shipping box inside the warehouse for quite a while before being shipped, so the chances of the inside package being contaminated with the coronavirus are very low. Even so, you can also remove the inner package from the shipping box and discard the box immediately. Finally, you can also wipe down plastic packaging with a disinfectant before opening.
No matter how you go about safeguarding you and your loved ones from possible packages contaminated with the coronavirus, it’s important to practice good hygiene. Remember to wash your hands thoroughly after handling the packages, use hand sanitizer, and refrain from touching your face.
