CNN has confirmed imported frozen food tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus in Shenzhen China. Moreover, their report published August 3, 2020 says this is not the first incident. However, the WHO says the possibility of transmission to humans is low. This despite the COVID-19 virus being able to survive freezing temperatures for longer periods.
Details of the Imported Frozen Food that Tested Positive
The contaminated food comprised frozen poultry wings from Brazil. Shenzhen city authorities discovered this when they tested a sample from a batch. They then traced possible human contacts that all tested negative. But they are currently following up related products from the same Brazilian brand.
Health authorities discovered contaminated frozen food in a restaurant in eastern Anhui province the previous day. In this case, their routine inspection found traces of the virus on frozen shrimps from Ecuador, according to China’s official broadcaster. Their report also mentioned several other incidents of imported frozen food testing positive during July 2020.
WHO and CDC Confirm Low Likelihood of Food-to-Human Transmission
WHO and CDC both assured CNN the possibility of catching the virus through food, or food packaging is considered low. That’s because spread most often occurs after an infected person sneezes, coughs or talks nearby. However, hand-to-mouth infection is still possible if personal hygiene precautions fail.
David Hui Shu-cheong, respiratory medicine expert at Chinese University of Hong Kong thinks the contamination occurred during packaging. But that does not necessarily mean the packets were infectious, he explains. That’s because the nucleic tests may have detected the RNA of a dead virus.
Moreover, the viruses would not have replicated on the packaging, because this can only happen inside a human body. None the less, it’s comforting to know Chinese authorities are taking precautions to identify imported frozen food positive for the virus before it reaches consumers.
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Preview Image: Frozen Food Warehouse
