Additionally, it was claimed that two dock workers in Qingdao who spent 10 hours transporting imported frozen fish between two different storage facilities on the same ship were infected. An active SARS-CoV-2 strain was found in a frozen COD sample from the damaged outer packing.
Digital Desk: At least
nine provinces in China have seen an increase in the number of COVID cases.
China has linked seven COVID-19 outbreaks and approximately 700 cases to
contaminated imported frozen food packaging materials. Scientists claim that
the data supports the theory that SARS-CoV-2 might spread between countries and
regions through cold-chain foods.
According
to research published in China CDC Weekly, those who handle and process
imported frozen foods need to be safeguarded and regularly observed for
coronavirus symptoms.
The
Link between COVID-19 and Food Packaging Explained
Five samples of salmon in the original sealed container
retained in the company's cold storage tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 during an
outbreak at Beijing's Xinfadi Market in June 2020, according to the results of
Chinese researchers. In July 2020, the incident in Dalian was also connected to
imported cold-chain products. After having direct touch with the frozen COD
packaging, the porter became infected with the coronavirus.
Additionally, it was
claimed that two dock workers in Qingdao who spent 10 hours transporting
imported frozen fish between two different storage facilities on the same ship
were infected. An active SARS-CoV-2 strain was found in a frozen COD sample
from the damaged outer packing. The first two outbreaks in Tianjin Municipality
in November 2020 were caused by porters who had direct touch with contaminated
outer packaging of imported frozen food or who had been exposed to the
virus-infected environment while handling frozen food.
The COVID-19 epidemic in
Dalian in July 2020 shared a virus sequence with the outbreaks that occurred in
Liuan City, Anhui Province, and Yingkou City, Liaoning Province, in May 2021.
The
information supports the hypothesis that occupational risk may contribute to
COVID-19 infections among cold-chain food handling and operating groups.
Approximately 56 million frozen items were the subject of an additional investigation by the same publication between July 2020 and July 2021. Out of 56 million samples, 1,455 tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 nucleic acid. The 1,398 food and packaging items that tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 were all imported, with the exception of seven.
What Does It Mean for Other Countries?
The global coronavirus pandemic has had both direct and
indirect consequences on the food system, causing significant concern and
leading to economic hardship for consumers, businesses, and communities even
though it is neither a food safety issue nor a foodborne disease. However,
experts believe that cold-food chains may operate as a carrier, and those who
handle food packaging are more likely to become infected with COVID-19.
In China, the highly contagious BA.5 Omicron strain, which is prevalent in the US and UK, has been wreaking havoc. The closure of businesses, schools, and restaurants has been requested due to the rising number of coronavirus cases.
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