Does the sacrificial meat transmit the Corona virus?

With the advent of the blessed Eid al-Adha, may God return it to the Arab and Islamic nation with good, Yemen and blessings, a question arises as to whether the sacrificial meat may transmit the new Corona virus SARS Cove 2, which causes Covid-19, and here is the answer.

We start with a statement from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which says it is generally believed that corona viruses are spread from person to person through respiratory drops. Currently there is no evidence to support the transmission of the Covid-19 coronavirus associated with food, including meat.

It adds that it may be possible for a person to become infected with Covid-19 by touching a surface or object containing the virus, then touching his mouth, nose, or perhaps his eyes, but it is not believed that this is the main method of transmission of the virus.

In general, the centers say, due to the poor viability of the SK virus, there is likely to be a very low risk of spreading from food products or packaging.

For its part, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) says that while there is ongoing research into the origin of animals likely to be transmitted to the Coronavirus, the spread and development of the current human epidemic is due to the transmission of infection from one person to another. There is currently no evidence that animals play a role in the spread of the Covid-19 epidemic.

Given the currently available data, the risk of corona spreading is mainly from one person to another, not through food, but the virus may spread if the person who deals with flesh or sacrifice transmitted the virus to those around him while they were in contact, or if they touched a surface the affected person had Transferring him the virus.

To protect yourself and your family from infecting a corona while dealing with the sacrifice or eating its flesh, we give you these tips:

1- It is necessary to reduce the number of those present to witness the sacrifice and not to crowd around it.

2- The necessity to adhere to social separation.

3- Washing or disinfecting the hands before and after any treatment with the sacrifice.

4- Everyone, especially the butcher and his assistants, must wear masks for protection, prepare the site for slaughter and ensure cleanliness and availability of water.

5- Take the necessary precautions not to contaminate the meat with wool or dung, especially when slaughtering the carcass.

6- Oral sacrifice should be avoided during the slaughtering process, as this may lead to the transmission of infection to the meat if the person is infected.

7- The necessity of packaging meat in clean bags.

8- Collect all waste in plastic bags and dispose of them in a safe manner, while cleaning and disinfecting the places of sale and slaughtering well, as well as the tools used for slaughtering.

9- Meat from healthy, well-cooked livestock is safe and can be eaten. People should not eat, slaughter, use, sell, prepare, or consume wild animal or sick livestock that died from unknown causes, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.

10- Before preparing or eating food, it is important to always wash your hands with soap and water for 20 seconds to ensure food safety in general. Wash your hands all day after touching the nose, coughing, sneezing, or going to the bathroom, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

11- You should always handle food and prepare it safely, including keeping raw meat separate from other foods, cooling perishable foods, and cooking meat well to the appropriate temperature and ripening to kill harmful germs.

Other measures

In Indonesia, coronavirus prevention measures were tightened on Eid Al-Adha, as the country's Ministry of Religious Affairs prepared a guide consisting of 19 items on points to follow during Eid celebrations and ceremonies.

Among the items in the guide to reduce the spread of the virus, measure the temperature of worshipers in mosques, and adhere to the distance of social distance, and bring worshipers all their carpets, and wear masks.

The ministry also called on the elderly, children and people with chronic diseases not to go to mosques on the feast, and to avoid direct contact with others in greetings such as handshaking and hugging.

The evidence confirmed that butchers and meat distributors are obligated to wear gloves and masks, with the need to sterilize the slaughtering and cutting tools in the altars after each sacrifice.