Explainer: How to wash veggies, clothes amid COVID-19?

Hyderabad: Amid the COVID-19 crisis, several concerns have been raised regarding the safety of vegetables and other commodities. Is normal washing enough before consuming vegetables? Addressing these questions, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has released a series of directives showing how one can ensure safe consumption of food during this health crisis.

How to properly wash vegetables, fruits?

The directive released by WHO gives proper guidelines on how to wash vegetables and fruits in the time of COVID-19. The advisory says that citizens have to wash one’s own hands first with soap and water before handling fruits and vegetables. After this, fruits and vegetables need to be washed thoroughly with clean water.

The WHO also confirmed that there is no case of COVID-19 transmitted through food or food packaging.

How to wash clothes in the time of COVID-19?

The WHO advisory states that if no one in the family is suspected to have COVID-19, normal washing with washing powder will be enough to disinfect one’s clothes.

However, if anyone in the family has COVID-19 or is suspected to have COVID-19, they are expected to wash the patient’s clothes, towels, bed linens separately. The soiled linen should not be carried against your body, but carried in a separate sealed plastic container or bucket. To wash and disinfect linen, they may be soaked in hot water as well, or soaked with 0.05 percent chlorine for approximately 30 minutes.

Can COVID-19 spread through coins, bank notes?

While the WHO has said that there is no evidence to confirm or disprove that COVID-19 can be transmitted through banknotes, infectious droplets do have the ability to contaminate and persist on surfaces. Objects like currency notes and coins, which are frequently in human contact, may or may not be infected. To be on the safer side, it is always better to wash one’s hands thoroughly with soap and water after touching them.