Amid shortages at grocery stores and calls from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to stay home as much as possible, people are increasingly turning to online retailers like Amazon to get their necessary supplies.
While Health magazine reports online shopping is an effective way to help slow the spread of the virus, many are wondering: Is there still a risk?
A study published earlier this month in the New England Journal of Medicine found that the COVID-19 virus can live on surfaces like cardboard for up to 24 hours, and can live up to 72 hours on plastic and stainless steel. But the chances of contracting the novel coronavirus from a package are low, according to the CDC.
Previous CDC reports indicate that the virus primarily spreads from person to person through respiratory droplets or close contact. While the CDC does acknowledge it could be possible for a person to become infected through contact with a contaminated surface, the organization says that is not the main way the virus spreads.
The World Health Organization also said accepting packages from infected areas is safe, as the chances of the virus surviving on a package after it has traveled a long distance and been exposed to a range of temperatures is low.
Amazon released additional guidelines for those concerned about receiving packages, Inc. reports, advising people to wipe down packages or leave them outside — in a safe location — for a few days to kill any viruses sitting on the package surface.