Covid-19 can linger on some groceries for days

But the scientists have advised that the risk to consumers remains very low.

The tests were conducted for the Food Standards Agency in a laboratory and saw the SARS-CoV-2 virus smeared on packaging and food, including fruit and bottled drinks that people might put in their mouths while cooking or washing.

Results varied, with most foods tested showing a significant drop in virus contamination during the first 24 hours.

But for peppers, bread crust, ham and cheese, the contagious virus was detected for several days under certain conditions, while it was present on the surface of croissants and chocolate rolls for several hours.

The study authors noted that the foods and packaging used in the study were “artificially inoculated with SARS-CoV-2 and therefore do not reflect the levels of contamination found on these retail foods, and that lower contamination levels take less time to clear. undetectable levels”.

“The public may be interested in the finding that under certain common conditions, the virus can persist in an infectious state on food and food packaging for several days.”

They added the study’s results “reinforce the need to closely follow guidelines for maintaining appropriate hygiene handling practices and displaying unwrapped food.”

It comes as the recent decline in the number of Covid-19 patients in England appears to have stopped, with early signs of levels starting to rise again.

On November 30, a total of 4,964 people who tested positive for the coronavirus were in hospital, an increase of 8% on the previous week, figures from the NHS England show.

The number of patients has been on a downward trend for just over a month after peaking at 10,688 on Oct. 17.

But this decline seems to have leveled off, with the numbers showing a slight increase in recent days.