SARS-CoV-2 transmission modes: Why and how contamination occurs around shared meals and drinks?
Food Microbiol
; 114: 104297, 2023 Sep.
Article
in English
| MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-2318967
ABSTRACT
In spite of prevention measures enacted all over the world to control the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak, including mask wearing, social distancing, hand hygiene, vaccination, and other precautions, the SARS-CoV-2 virus continues to spread globally at an unabated rate of about 1 million cases per day. The specificities of superspreading events as well as evidence of human-to-human, human-to-animal and animal-to-human transmission, indoors or outdoors, raise questions about a possibly neglected viral transmission route. In addition to inhaled aerosols, which are already recognized as key contributors to transmission, the oral route represents a strong candidate, in particular when meals and drinks are shared. In this review, we intend to discuss that significant quantities of virus dispersed by large droplets during discussions at festive gatherings could explain group contamination either directly or indirectly after deposition on surfaces, food, drinks, cutlery, and several other soiled vectors. We suggest that hand hygiene and sanitary practices around objects brought to the mouth and food also need to be taken into account in order to curb transmission.
Keywords
Full text:
Available
Collection:
International databases
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
SARS-CoV-2
/
COVID-19
Type of study:
Observational study
Topics:
Vaccines
Limits:
Humans
Language:
English
Journal:
Food Microbiol
Journal subject:
Nutritional Sciences
/
Microbiology
Year:
2023
Document Type:
Article
Affiliation country:
J.fm.2023.104297
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