Under current COVID-19 restrictions, many restaurants and bars across the country have switched to curbside pickup, delivery and takeout options only. It can be tempting to take a break from cooking all your meals at home and indulge in your favorite restaurant's offerings, but you might have an underlying fear that your food could somehow lead to a COVID-19 infection, such as from a cook who's infected or by touching food containers that an infected person has handled.
However, an expert on viruses says there's little need to worry about a risk of infection from your takeout food, and there are a few best practices you can take at home to help safeguard your food, too.
Can Food From an Infected Cook Give You COVID-19?
FRIDAY, April 3, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- Even if your takeout dinner was prepared by a cook who has COVID-19, there's little need to worry about your risk of infection, according to an expert in viruses.
"Restaurant kitchens can be one of the safest places in this coronavirus outbreak because they already practice strict hygiene protocols to avoid foodborne illness," said Paula Cannon, a professor of molecular microbiology and immunology at Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California, in Los Angeles.
"Owners are taking this extremely seriously and monitoring their staff for symptoms, and encouraging the strictest adherence to all food hygiene procedures," Cannon said in a university news release.