Coronavirus prevention: Experts feel you should AVOID touching this thing while shopping for grocery

As India gears up for the 1st phase of the nationwide ‘unlock plan’ from June 8, more and more people are informing themselves on staying safe and minimizing the risk as they venture outdoors. We are living in the times of global pandemic and witnessing unprecedented changes in the way we used to lead our lives. As a result, even a minuscule task like grocery shopping, which did not require much afterthought before, needs thorough precautionary measures.

Since going to the grocery store is pretty much unavoidable, it is important to plan the trip properly and avoid as much exposure as possible. However, even as you take out your sanitizers and face-coverings, we inadvertently come in touch with one of the germiest spots at these grocery stores.

In addition to ensuring that you have a list handy and don’t do impulse shopping in a store, you also need to steer clear of touching things in the store unnecessarily. What tops the list of these items is the very shopping basket that you use to put items and take to the billing counter. If you think about it, it actually makes a lot of sense. The shopping basket and carts are one of the most highly-touched areas in a grocery store and no amount of sanitizing can completely reduce the chances of picking up pathogens.

Another problem with the handles of these baskets and cart is that they are not touched briefly but customers use the same for an entire shopping trip. This makes them very easy to be a hotspot of germs and viruses and it is also difficult to do thorough sanitization of these bags, given their nooks and crevices. They also come in contact with your clothes and other personal items, paving way for further contamination.

This one is a no-brainer. So, instead of reaching out for shopping bags or carts, carry your own cloth shopping bag from home. However, if you have bigger items which cannot fit in your cloth bag, it is always better to use shopping carts instead of bags. For starters, their handles can be sanitized with a disinfectant wipe and they can be kept at an optimum distance to avoid physical contact.

However, reserve the cart only for the items that you cannot carry in your own bag or backpack and keep the heavier items in the cart. This will reduce the risk of picking unwanted bacteria and viruses and avoid touching the unsanitized portions of the cart again and again.

Ultimately, the most important aspect of keeping yourself safe from COVID-19 still remains social distancing. So, plan your visit to avoid peak hours (preferably go early in the morning) and being surrounded by a lot of people. Wear face-coverings properly to cover your mouth and nose and sanitize your hands once you exit the shop.

Also, make sure to clean and disinfect your shopping bag after every trip outdoors. When you enter your home empty the clothing bag and put it into the washer and wash your hands thoroughly. While there has been no direct link between food packages and contracting the infection, you may still wipe them with sanitizing wipes if you feel like.