A shopper at Trader Joe’s in Brooklyn. Photo: Robert Nickelsberg/Getty Images Grocery shopping is a necessity, but winding through aisles with a loaded cart and dodging other shoppers within a six-foot radius can feel like a dystopic version of Super Mario. It’s easy to go through an entire bottle of hand sanitizer in one trip, re-upping every time you touch a canned good, the handle of the freezer case, or the credit-card machine.
For the rest of us, it’s also important to understand what the risks of grocery shopping are. “There’s no evidence that COVID-19 is transmitted by objects like cans of food or reusable bags,” said Dr. Timothy Brewer, an epidemiologist at UCLA. Treating a can of whole peeled tomatoes like a deadly contagion is not the most effective strategy for safe shopping.
And consider taking it easy at the fish market, the heritage butcher shop, and the cheese shop. “Visit fewer shops,” Dr. Thorpe urges. “During more normal times, I adore my ability to walk to four or five different stores, but right now that’s not the type of shopping I would recommend.” Being flexible with your ingredients, she says, is helpful here — maybe you can use the run-of-the-mill oregano instead of searching the city for a particular Italian strain.
Consider Protective Measures The question of whether to wear gloves while shopping is contentious, even among healthcare professionals. Dr. Thorpe recommends wearing them if you have them, but Dr. Brewer says there’s not much use: “You can transfer a viral infection with gloves just like you could with your hands.” Just wash your hands thoroughly before you go out and once you get home, and bring some hand sanitizer with you for good measure.
Consider Paying with a Card “Definitely use a credit card if you can,” says Dr. VanWingen, who has gone so far as to sanitize his credit card upon returning home from food shopping.
Great- now where do we get the Clorox wipes to wipe it all down?
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