Is it a safe choice to order takeout during the epidemic?

Theoretically, it is possible for take-away food to carry a new pneumonia virus, but it is very unlikely that we will be infected.

Don't worry too much about ordering takeout, but you should take necessary protection and don't take it lightly. Novel coronavirus? 20 19-nCoV？ The route of transmission is mainly respiratory droplets, but also through contact. Theoretically, if food producers are infected and do not follow good operating rules in the process of making food, droplets may attach to the surface of food through sneezing and coughing, thus making food carry viruses. In addition, if the take-away food delivery staff is infected, it is also possible to carry the virus on the surface of the food packaging box through droplets and contact.

Coronavirus can survive well in human secretions and droplets, but the surface of objects, such as tableware and lunch boxes, is not its ideal residence. According to our understanding of SARS and MERS coronavirus, this virus usually needs close contact with infected people to spread, and rarely spreads through the object itself (such as take-away, express delivery and other channels).

And we don't have to worry about viruses in food, because coronaviruses are very sensitive to heat. It is difficult to survive at higher temperatures. The temperature of the food we eat is relatively high in most cases. Even if the food producer slightly pollutes the food in the production process, it is difficult for the virus to remain active in this case.

So take-out is still safer?