Coronavirus update: Can you get infected from delivery parcels? Here’s how you should handle them

With the lockdown of the country, the hustle-bustle of our daily lives has come to standstill. Amid the crisis, the good news is online e-commerce centers will soon start operating to deliver only essential products. But, one question that we all might have-is it safe to take these packages? Can we get the infection from these exposed boxes? It is normal to have such suspicion these days, but to clear the air, here’s what experts are recommending.

According to a recent study by The New England Journal of Medicine, the contagious agents of the COVID-19 can only live up-to 24 hours on surfaces like cardboard, in an exposed setting.

“There is no evidence of the infection being transmitted through contaminated packaged that been exposed to different environmental conditions and temperatures,” explained Dr. Rommel Tickoo, an associate director of Internal Medicine at Max Healthcare.

While there’s no scientific evidence of one catching the coronavirus from infected cardboard packages that might have come from a hotspot zone, it is wise to be a little cautious to prevent the virus. However, getting your essential supplies delivered at your doorstep is a safer option in the current situation which will only help you stay indoors. It is important that you understand that going out can put your life in greater danger than ordered goods packaging.

One must handle these cardboard packaging with caution, such as maintain a 6 feet distance between the delivery person and you for safety measures. Make sure your delivery agent is wearing a mask before you converse with them. Once you take the packaging inside your house, it is better to leave it in an isolated corner of your house for 24 hours before you open it. Make sure you wash your hands properly after handling the package and before you open it just to be on the safe side, spray some sanitiser or disinfectant. This might seem like a lot, but prevention is better than cure, especially when there’s no cure.

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