Coronavirus: How to sanitise your groceries, according to a US doctor

Dr Jeffrey VanWingen is advising people to leave food outside for three days before touching it if possible

A Michigan doctor is urging people to leave their groceries outside for three days or thoroughly disinfect each food item on a video posted to Facebook.

Jeffrey VanWingen, a doctor at Family Medicine Specialists in Grand Rapids posted the thirteen-minute online to warn consumers about the danger of becoming ill due to germs living on the surfaces of food packaging.

A recent study by US government scientists found that coronavirus could be living on some surfaces, including plastic and stainless steel, for up to three days.

In the video Dr VanWingen advises that the best way to avoid transferring germs from packaging and groceries to your person is to leave them outside for three days before touching them.

However, for instances where this is not possible, he demonstrates how he believes people can sanitise food items by wiping and disinfecting each package or removing outside packaging.

“This all seems a bit time consuming, but, in truth, these days people do have a bit more time on their hands,“ Dr VanWingen said. “Let’s be methodical and be safe, and not take any chances.”

In the scientific study, the virus was shown to be most stable on plastic and stainless steel, being detected on these surfaces for up to 72 hours after application during an experiment.

Covid-19 was also shown to be viable for up to four hours on copper, up to 24 hours on cardboard.

Many of these materials are used in the packaging of different foods however, researchers clarified to The Associated Press that their findings do not prove anyone has caught the virus in this way, only that it may be theoretically possible.

Dr VanWingen’s video currently has over 750,000 views on YouTube.