Scientists have discovered that coronavirus can survive on frozen meat and fish for three weeks fearing a resurgence in the virus as this could provide another way for it to spread.
The preliminary scientific study which took place in Singapore injected coronavirus into salmon, chicken and pork, the test sample was then subjected to typical conditions found during transportation of the meat.
The researchers stored the food in a standard refrigeration temperature of -4C and the normal freezing temperature of -20C and -80C, which highlighted coronavirus still survived.
After 21 days the scientific researchers found in the study coronavirus was still present across all three samples.
They claim that this study could well explain why there has been resurgences in countries such as China and New Zealand after weeks of no reported cases.
The contaminated food could be a “feasible source for such outbreaks,” but it is not a “major infection route.”
Researchers said, “An explanation is required for the re-emergence of COVID-19 outbreaks in regions with apparent local eradication.
“Recent outbreaks have emerged in Vietnam, New Zealand and parts of China where there had been no cases for some months.
“Importation of contaminated food and food packaging is a feasible source for such outbreaks and a source of clusters within existing outbreaks.
“While it can be confidently argued that transmission via contaminated food is not a major infection route, the potential for movement of contaminated items to a region with no COVID-19 and initiate an outbreak is an important hypothesis.
“An infected food handler has the potential to become an index case of a new outbreak.
“The international food market is massive and even a very unlikely event could be expected to occur from time to time.”
China found in early August that samples taken from frozen chicken wings imported from Brazil to Shenzhen had positive traces of coronavirus.
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