Dr.. Osama Abu Al-Rub

With the rapid spread of the new Corona virus in China, the death of 56 people today, and the 1975 record of infections, the question arises as to whether the Corona virus can be transmitted through shopping from websites that bring their goods from China?

The virus appeared last December in a market in Wuhan, and preliminary research indicates that the virus was transmitted to humans through snakes.

Coronaviruses (coronaviruses) are a large group of viruses that cause diseases ranging from common colds to more severe diseases such as the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) and severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS).

Corona viruses are animal source, which means that they are transmitted between animals and people, according to the World Health Organization.

Common symptoms of infection include respiratory infection, fever, cough, shortness of breath and difficulty breathing. In more severe cases, infection can cause pneumonia, kidney failure and death.

Is the virus transmitted with goods?
To begin with, it is important to understand the fact that most of the coronaviruses spread through coughing and sneezing, or by touching an infected person's hand or face, or by touching things like door handles that infected people have touched.

Corona viruses also spread through close contact with another person, especially coughing and sneezing by an infected person about one to two meters away.

Some diseases - including the coronavirus that causes SARS - can spread through surfaces contaminated with coughs or sneezes, but so far the new Chinese coronavirus has not shown that it can do so.

That is, it has not appeared at present if the new Chinese virus can be transmitted through surfaces contaminated with the virus, such as the surface of a cargo box or product that has been purchased and shipped.

Outside the body
Another thing that determines if the new Corona virus is transmitted through shopping from websites that bring their goods from China, which is the ability of the virus to survive outside the human body, for example on the surface of a cargo box, until it reaches the other side and causes infection for the person who received the goods.

For example, common cold viruses survive on the surface for less than 24 hours, and they are from the same family of corona viruses to which the new virus belongs.

For example, if the new Chinese virus can survive outside the body 24 hours, this means that any goods that need to be shipped more than 24 hours from China will be safe, and the virus on them will have removed its danger.

Norovirus, which is from another family of viruses and causes gastritis, can live several months outside the body.

Up to the moment, data indicates that the spread of the new corona virus requires close contact with the infected person, so the risk of transmission of the virus through goods - according to the data available to date - may be small.

A threat
However, it must be emphasized that scientists are still collecting information about the virus, new data may emerge, or show that there are other ways through which the virus is transmitted, or that the virus can live for a long time outside the body.

It is clear that the governments in the countries of the world take seriously the threat posed by the new Chinese virus, so if you have requested goods from China and want to know if the goods may pose a threat to your health, the best option is to communicate with the Ministry of Health in your country, and follow its recommendations .

Finally, to prevent transmission of SK virus infection in general it is recommended to wash hands regularly and cover the mouth and nose when coughing and sneezing and to cook meat and eggs well. Avoid close contact with anyone who has symptoms of respiratory disease, such as coughing and sneezing.