begin quote from:
WHO: No Evidence of Coronavirus Transmission Through Food
The statement comes after health officials in China said they detected the virus on imported frozen food, raising questions about the safety of food shipments.
THE WORLD HEALTH Organization on Thursday said that there is "no evidence" that food is playing a role in coronavirus infections.
"There is no evidence that food or the food chain is participating in transmission of this virus," WHO Health Emergencies Program Executive Director Mike Ryan said at a press conference.
The statement comes after health officials in China said they detected the virus on imported frozen food, raising questions about the safety of food shipments. Everyone who might have come into contact with the products tested negative for the virus, according to officials.
Cartoons on the Coronavirus
Ryan said the organization is following the development.
"I think people are already scared enough, fearful enough, in the [COVID-19] pandemic," Ryan said. "It's important that we track findings like this. And it's important that we don't discount scientific evidence where we find it, but it's also important that people can go about their daily lives without fear. People should not fear food or food packaging or processing or delivery of food. Food is very important."
While there may not be evidence of the virus infecting people through the food chain, WHO's website does acknowledge that the virus can live on plastic for up to 72 hours.
[ MAP: The Spread of Coronavirus ]
Officials in New Zealand, which saw no local transmission of the virus for three months, are also looking into whether new infections are related to freight.
"I would hate to think that we would create an impression that there's a problem with our food or there's a problem with our food chains," Ryan said. "They're under enough pressure as it is already."
Health officials report more than 20.7 million cases of the virus and over 751,000 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University.
No comments:
Post a Comment