Myth: Your immune system can be affected if you touch the packaging of food in the supermarket.
Well, this myth is partially true, namely that you can contract a virus if you touch a contaminated surface, but it’s quite impossible to happen when you touch a packaging of food in the supermarket. Or at least, “there is no evidence [yet] that touching food packaging transmits viruses, COVID-19 included,” said William Li, MD, physician, scientist, and author of Eat To Beat Disease: The New Science of How Your Body Can Heal Itself.
Nevertheless, whether or not you touch an infected surface, it does not mean that your immune system will be automatically affected. In fact, how a virus attacks your body depends on many factors that can’t be controlled by you. For instance, you may have already caught a virus, but you may not have any symptoms precisely because your immune system kills it without too much effort.
“However, just to be safe, you can wipe down the surface with a disinfecting wipe while wearing gloves. Make sure you properly dispose of the wipe after you’re done, and wash your hands thoroughly before touching the food,” said Li.
