POSSIBILITY OF VIRUS SPREADING VIA PARCELS

[Anchor Lead]

An outbreak of COVID-19 cases at a large logistics center has triggered anxiety over the safety of packages delivered by couriers. The virus has been found even on the shoes and hats of delivery workers from the contaminated logistics center. So can the coronavirus spread through packages? We take a look

[Pkg]

​The number of online orders surged since the outbreak of COVID-19, as people shun going outside and prefer to shop online these days. Oftentimes couriers just leave packages at customers' doorsteps to avoid direct contact.

[Soundbite] (E-COMMERCE USER) : "Even when I'm home, I ask couriers to leave packages at my doorstep to avoid direct contact."

The coronavirus has been found even on the caps and shoes of delivery workers from the Coupang logistics center, meaning it can be present on the packages as well. In theory, consumers can come into contact with the virus from contaminated packages. They can become infected if they touch their eyes or nose with unwashed hands after handling contaminated boxes. A study conducted by the U.S. National Institutes of Health shows COVID-19 can survive on boxes for up to 24 hours. But that's only possible in dry conditions and in low temperatures. The possibility of the virus surviving inside delivery trucks is low due to the high internal temperature. Many experts point out, even if the virus survive inside delivery trucks, its viral load is not large enough to cause infections.

[Soundbite] LEE JAE-GAP(PROF., HALLYM UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER) : "The coronavirus cannot survive outside the body for a long time. Even if it survives on dry surfaces for more than one day, its concentration decreases with time, making it less contagious."

So far, there's been no reports of COVID-19 transmission through packages anywhere in the world. Still, quarantine authorities urge consumers to wash their hands immediately after touching the delivered packages.