A question for the scientific Rootschatters

[sugarfizzle]

Sugarfizzle - I believe the virus lasts better in a cold environment, so quarantining things for a while in garage or hallway is likely to be more effective than putting them in the bottom of the fridge.

Back to the drawing board, Margaret.

[Gadget]

Sugarfizzle - I believe the virus lasts better in a cold environment, so quarantining things for a while in garage or hallway is likely to be more effective than putting them in the bottom of the fridge.

Back to the drawing board, Margaret.

But certain things would go off if left in the garage for a few days - eg. cream, meats, yogurt, etc.

[Nick_Ips]

I certainly wouldn't want them exploding! What a picture that conjures up. 

At least if the tins exploded everywhere there would be no question whether the contents would remain safe for any length of time.   

I agree with what you say about bread - that isn't something you can keep in quarantine for very long before using it - and people do have a habit of handling it a lot in the shops.

I've switched to buying only bread in completely sealed plastic bags (not the ones with breathing holes) and wipe the outside of the bag over with disinfectant spray as soon as I get it home. The lack of holes is important to stop the spray getting inside and contaminating the bread.

I'd prefer to get the part-baked bread as it comes in air-tight packaging which is much easier to wipe over, but I've found it much harder to buy since people went mad with the stockpiling.

[BushInn1746]

Nobody has answered you so far. It's probably because we all feel ill-qualified to answer. ...

I'll throw this thought-grenade in as a closing remark:
Perhaps getting a little tiny dose of the virus wouldn't be so bad after all?

Trystan

In two hospitals I have heard about, they have ZERO  Covid-19 patients.

My Sister-in-Law is a Manager at a large Scottish Hospital for a Region and they have had NO  Covid-19 patients for a month!

Our hospital had 50 middle of last week, so I find it odd. Our M.P., says there is a lot of disability here. (True).
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https://www.itnonline.com/content/multi-institutional-study-looks-brain-mri-findings-covid-19

Covid-19 is not all about 'no symptoms' or 'a mild cold' or gasping for breath on a Ventilator.
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I've had a brain condition (after MRIs) for 20 years and still suffer the original same symptoms, but had some additional strange symptoms in April 2020, one felt like the pain of being struck on the skull with a hammer (under investigation as out-patient and waiting for the opinion of an MRI head scan this month). I'm also left now with extremely severe tiredness with very mild headache.

I've had no problem sleeping at night for years.

I'm under 60 but now having to lie down in the afternoon (often sleeping) and also take other rest or sleep in the day and evening.

It might be that a stroke coincidentally occurred, but if it turns out to be Covid-19 I'd prefer not to run my chances with it again.

Cold Tap Water
My ancestors were Brewers (which is mashed at heat), so I've been boiling our tap water AND letting it cool for drinking. My late Grandfather said drinking well, is essential if you should get a viral illness.

Mark 

[sugarfizzle]

Sugarfizzle - I believe the virus lasts better in a cold environment, so quarantining things for a while in garage or hallway is likely to be more effective than putting them in the bottom of the fridge.

Back to the drawing board, Margaret.

But certain things would go off if left in the garage for a few days - eg. cream, meats, yogurt, etc.

Quite so, especially as the weather here in UK is due to warm up again this week.

Things need to go in the fridge, so it's back to the washing or decanting again. But the time taken to order, receive, and wash down an online order is probably still less than going out to buy the stuff in the ordinary way.

Regards Margaret

[Erato]

More than anything else about this blasted epidemic, I resent being turned into a germaphobe.  I have never before worried about germs at all, including five years of drinking untreated water straight out of the river.  And that approach has always worked for me. Now I find myself wondering if I should wash off cans of tuna and bags of macaroni and then giving in to the impulse.

[Caw1]

One can become slightly paranoid about all this and dealing with shopping is a stressful activity...
I have click & collect... when I get home wearing gloves it all goes straight into the garage onto a large bench... anything that isn't perishable stays in there for 72hours. I wash everything that us sealed, vacuum packed in soapy water in the kitchen. Hoping no bag has slight hole as soapy cheese doesn't appeal or soapy tasting roast chicken! So far so good.
Other items either get wiped with anti bac wipe or pkt opened contents put into a new bag/container for fridge or freezer.
All post is isolated in the porch for 72hrs whether urgent or not!
I do also go into local greengrocers and butchers all items from there treated the same ...
Outside car handles, bootlid wiped down... I used to do steering wheel and everything inside I'd touched but as it's only me that uses the car and I only go out every 20-14 days I don't do inside anymore.... wear gloves for everything but take them off when I get in the car...
Not bought any bread for weeks as O.H bakes all we need.

Interesting reading others scientific ideas...

Caroline
What more you can do I don't know!

[eadaoin]

I did the washing groceries thing for a couple of shopping deliveries by son, then read that it wasn't necessary, so I now just unpack them and put them away as normal.

I don't do any extra hand-washing unless I've been outside the gate. Even then, I don't really touch anything when I'm out. I used sanitizer when we visited my brother, and we brought our own handtowels for the loo.

[Pheno]

Apart from a friend bringing me some perishables, my main grocery shop is currently by supermarket delivery. I'm assuming that the goods that the packers are handling are direct from the boxes sent from the factories, which in turn would have been packed by machine. That does cut down the number of people who have handled the goods. I'm more concerned about such things as bread from the supermarket, people do have a bad habit of squeezing loaves or picking them up and then deciding on a different one. (I only buy packaged bread).

Probably will make people even more paranoid but the packers shop in the ordinary store and put your shopping into their trolleys before it is sent to you - it is not from the boxes of goods that they receive as stock.  You see them around the supermarket all the time whilst the rest of us are shopping.

Pheno