New Delhi (NVI): The World Health Organization (WHO) said that it saw no evidence of coronavirus being spread by food or packaging and urged people not to be afraid of the virus entering the food chain.
“People should not fear food, food packaging or delivery of food,” WHO head of emergencies programme Mike Ryan told a briefing. “There is no evidence the food chain is participating in transmission of this virus.”
WHO provided this clarification after two cities in China said they had found traces of the coronavirus in imported frozen chicken wings from Brazil and on outer packaging of frozen Ecuadorian shrimp, raising fears that contaminated food shipments might cause a new outbreak.
The virus was found on Tuesday in the Chinese city of Shenzhen during a routine check on samples of frozen chicken wings imported from Brazil.
The authorities said they immediately screened people who had been in contact with the contaminated products, plus their relatives, and all the tests came back negative, according to media reports.
“There is no evidence that food or the food chain is participating in transmission of this virus. And people should feel comfortable and safe.”WHO epidemiologist Maria Van Kerkhove said China had tested hundreds of thousands of packages and “found very, very few, less than 10” proving positive for the virus.
The WHO also urged countries now that are striking bilateral deals for vaccines not to abandon multilateral efforts, since vaccinating pockets will still leave the world vulnerable.
-CHK
