Every day there’s a new rumor about coronavirus and how you can catch it.
The virus, officially called 2019-nCov – which stands for 2019 Novel Coronavirus – is rapidly spreading throughout China from Wuhan, and has shown up in several countries outside China, including the United States.
There are several things experts still do not know about the virus, which is creating some panic surrounding the illness.
We dig into one claim that is making the rounds on social media.
QUESTION
Can coronavirus be carried on packages delivered from China?
ANSWER
Likely not.
EXPLANATION
We relied on the experts at the Centers for Disease Control for the answer to this one.
In a brief on Monday, Dr. Nancy Messonier, the director of the CDC’s Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, said there was no evidence to support that theory.
“In general, because of poor survivability of these coronaviruses on surfaces, there is likely very very low risk of spread from products or packaging that are shipped over a period of days or weeks at ambient temperatures,” Messonnier said.
The takeaway – wash your hands and sanitize commonly used items as much as you can, especially in public places.
