COVID-19 Resources: We have heard from many folks asking if we know of any resources for COVID-19 preparedness and response. Here are some resources that may be helpful.
General Information
CDC’s COVID-19 website(many resources: basic information about COVID-19, including how it spreads; situation updates; information for specific audiences: communities, schools, businesses, healthcare professions, health departments, travel, laboratories)
Coronavirus Resources (Food Marketing Institute), includes: Preparedness Checklist; Coronavirus and Pandemic Preparedness for the Food Industry (member only resource; includes recommendations for supporting consumers, associates, human resources, retail stores, distribution centers/transportation, product suppliers, and interacting with the media).
FDA has added food-specific FAQs to its website (continuously updated site), including:
Q: Is food imported to the United States from China and other countries affected by coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), at risk of spreading COVID-19?
Q: Are food products produced in the United States a risk for the spread of COVID-19?
Q: Can I get sick with COVID-19 from touching food, the food packaging, or food contact surfaces, if the coronavirus was present on it?
Q: Can I get COVID-19 from a food worker handling my food?
Q: Should food workers who are ill stay home?
Q: Should food facilities (grocery stores, manufacturing facilities, restaurants, etc.) perform any special cleaning or sanitation procedures for COVID-19?
Q: Since restaurant workers and other service industry employees have ongoing contact with the public, are there any special precautions these workers should take to avoid becoming sick with a respiratory illness, such as wearing masks?
Detection of COVID-19 in stool and importance of hand hygiene: There are published articles in several journals (one example: CDC Emerging Infectious Diseases (Journal):Detection of Novel Coronavirus by RT-PCR in Stool Specimen from Asymptomatic Child, China) that talk about detection of COVID-19 in stool of infected patients and raise the possibility of stool as a vehicle for virus transmission. In one article (Gastroenterology Journal), stool was positive for COVID-19 after viral clearance in the respiratory tract. CDC’s website Water Transmission and COVID-19 talks about how COVID-19 has been detected in stool, but how many other important aspects are unknown: how much virus is shed in stool, how long the virus is shed, and whether virus shed in stool is infectious. The site also states: “The risk of transmission of COVID-19 from the feces of an infected person is also unknown”. All of this underscores the importance of existing guidance for ill persons (including food workers) to stay home while ill, and for everyone to follow good hand hygiene practices.
If you have any trouble with accessing information contained within this website, please contact the MIS Department - 201-670-5500 x2222 or by email mis@ridgewoodnj.net.
