Before preparing or eating food it is important to always wash your hands with soap and water for 20 seconds for general food safety. Wash your hands often, throughout the day, and always after blowing your nose, coughing or sneezing, or going to the bathroom.
It may be possible that a person can get COVID-19 by touching a surface or object that has the virus on it and then touching their own mouth, nose, or possibly their eyes, but this is not thought to be the main way the virus spreads.
In general, because of poor survivability of these coronaviruses on surfaces, there is likely very low risk of spread from food products or packaging that are shipped over a period of days or weeks at ambient, refrigerated, or frozen temperatures.
More information about use of disinfectants, managing holidays during a pandemic, and resources for food service and industry are available from K-State Research and Extension.
Sharolyn Flaming Jackson is a Family and Consumer Sciences Specialist and Walk Kansas coordinator at K-State Research and Extension.