Is it possible to get coronavirus from a parcel from AliExpress

The risks are ambiguous, and this is due to the fact that about Wuhan coronavirus (aka 2019-nCoV), despite the news boom, there are not so many accurate and definitive data. Information is being updatedNovel Coronavirus 2019 Situation Summary, Wuhan, China every day - as scientists become more familiar with the new infection.

What we now know about the 2019-nCoV coronavirus

Here are all the data that can be important in the context of receiving packages.

1. Coronavirus is transmitted, including through contact and everyday life

Like other respiratory infections, 2019-nCoV is most likely to be spread by airborne droplets.Novel Coronavirus 2019: FAQ - when an infected person coughs and sneezes. It is assumed that the infection occurs through close contact. And they are usually defined as followsFrequently Asked Questions About SARS: communication at a distance of less than a meter with an infected person, kissing and hugging, direct physical contact. Walking in the open air or staying in the same room for a short time does not count as close communication.

But contact-household transmission is not excluded. An indirect confirmation of this is biological protection suits, in which, judging by the existing videos from China, doctors and rescuers isolate the sick. Another confirmation is the recommendations of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the World Health Organization, prescribingInterim Guidance for Preventing 2019 Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) from Spreading to Others in Homes and Communities that's what:

• Regularly and thoroughly to wash hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
• Avoid sharing household items - dishes, towels, bedding - with someone who is suspected of having a viral infection.
• Daily and thoroughly clean all high-touch surfaces such as counters, countertops, doorknobs, plumbing fixtures, telephones, keyboards, tablets.

These recommendations are due to the fact that the virus, released, for example, when sneezing, can settle on surrounding surfaces and remain infectious for some time. You touched an infected handrail in public transport, then the same hand passed over your mouth, nose or eyes - and the infection was able to enter your body.

The degree of infectivity of 2019-nCoV, including its ability to be transmitted by household contact, is not yet entirely clear.

Judging by the close relatives of the Wuhan coronavirus - atypical pneumonia (SARS) and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) - the spread of the infection occurs mainly not by contact-household, but by airborne droplets during personal communication with an already sick person human.

2. Wuhan virus is unlikely to live long outside the human body

There is no information yet on how long 2019-nCoV remains viable on open surfaces. But, as a rule, viruses do not live long outside the human body. The closest relatives of 2019-nCoV are the SARS-CoV coronavirus, the causative agent of SARS, keepsFrequently Asked Questions About SARS infectiousness for several days. The common flu is contagiousINFLUENZA (FLU) Cleaning to Prevent the Flu 48 hours. HIV diesHIV INFORMATION during few hours.

Most likely, the Wuhan coronavirus does not stand out from this row.

Is it possible to get coronavirus from a parcel from AliExpress

Based on the data listed above, no. Even if the virus is somehow "sealed" in the package, it will die within a few hours. Maximum - several days.

This is a rare case when the longer the package travels from AliExpress, the better.

Additional factors:

• WHONovel Coronavirus Ooutbreak In China: What Does It Mean For Europe did not impose any restrictions on trade with China.
• China post informs关于对武汉进出口邮件实施紧急措施的公告that for security purposes, it conducts mandatory disinfection of postal items and vehicles from Wuhan and at local order processing centers.
• AliExpress representatives insistRisks of contamination of parcels from Aliexpress are assessedthat parcels from China are absolutely safe.
• Rospotrebnadzor also statesRospotrebnadzor assured that coronavirus from China is not transmitted through parcelsthat the virus from Wuhan is not transmitted through the mail.

In general, according to current information, the parcels are safe. So indulge yourself with shopping: there is dataHappiness and Your Immune Systemthat joy boosts immunity and makes the body more resistant to a viral attack.

If you are still worried, process the received things: wash them, disinfect them with an alcohol solution, pour boiling water over the dishes, wash clothes. However, these hygiene rules should always be observed, and not only in the midst of viral epidemics.

And yes. The life hacker continues to monitor the spread and characteristics of the Wuhan coronavirus. If anything changes, we will let you know.