chrisash Report post Posted January 30, 2020 Many of us buy small items from China for leatherwork that is posted to us, with this new virus, is it possible to get it from posted goods and if so how long does it last in or on a package Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Wizcrafts Report post Posted January 30, 2020 My thinking is negative to the virus surviving a trip across the ocean on an inanimate paper bag or envelope. But, I don't know and have not heard this type of question asked at any press conferences yet. It would be worth posting to your State reps so they can ask the CDC. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PrairieDog Report post Posted January 30, 2020 I just read a news story on this today. They say the virus would only last a few hours on the surface of an item and that it would die before the package could be delivered. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Tugadude Report post Posted January 30, 2020 I think this is a valid question and certainly should be addressed in an "official" way. When lives are at stake, I don't believe in anecdotal evidence or reports. I agree that is seems highly unlikely any virus would last any given length of time, but I'm no expert so what do I know? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Hardrada Report post Posted January 30, 2020 I'd still refrain. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kgg Report post Posted January 30, 2020 I would tend to be cautious, maybe bordering on a little a healthy paranoia and use some form of disinfection until a reliable source can confirm the life expectancy of this virus on all types of surfaces. All of us remember the SARS outbreak in Ontario. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
chuck123wapati Report post Posted January 30, 2020 My family wipes down every package we get with Clorox water and every thing we buy from the store as both of our stores have a pharmacy inside. Guess what sick people do when they are waiting for their prescription that's right they shop, pick up, cough and sneeze on your food in your store every day. You would be better off worrying about your local supermarket. My family of six hasn't been sick a day since we started doing this and its easy when you get in the habit. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
fredk Report post Posted January 31, 2020 In a life in another universe a long time ago I was a postie for the Royal Mail. This question came up once when there was a massive flu outbreak in the UK. We were told not to worry about it, no virus could live for any length of time on any package. A virus is not like bacteria or a germ which can live on certain items Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
fredk Report post Posted January 31, 2020 https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-51176409 Quote from the article linked to " Can the coronavirus be transferred through items bought from Wuhan and posted to UK? - Stefan There is no evidence this is a risk. Some diseases - including the coronavirus that causes Sars - can spread through surfaces contaminated by people coughing or sneezing on them. It has not been shown this new coronavirus can do that. Even if it could, there would still be questions about whether international shipping would be a major problem. Cold viruses tend to survive less than 24 hours outside the human body although norovirus (a severe stomach bug) can last months outside the body. The most reassuring fact so far is that cases seem to require close contact with another person - say, a family member or healthcare worker - in order to spread." (end quote) I've checked the addresses of the suppliers I buy from and none are in Wuhan nor even close. Most are close to Hong Kong Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
billybopp Report post Posted January 31, 2020 16 hours ago, chuck123wapati said: My family wipes down every package we get with Clorox water and every thing we buy from the store as both of our stores have a pharmacy inside. Guess what sick people do when they are waiting for their prescription that's right they shop, pick up, cough and sneeze on your food in your store every day. You would be better off worrying about your local supermarket. My family of six hasn't been sick a day since we started doing this and its easy when you get in the habit. I have a friend that is a little freaked out by the corona virus thing -- so I did a little looking around and found a report by a doctor that said that this, and other similar viruses survive one or two days outside the body at the very most. Given that, a flu virus from your local postal workers is a bigger concern. As of right now, there are literally thousands of flu deaths this year, and only a small handful of corona virus deaths. I'm with you @chuck123wapati! I carry a small squeeze bottle of hand sanitizer in my jacket pocket for those trips to the store - especially the drug store. Watch sometime and you'll see people cough or sneeze into their hand and then within a short time pick up that pen to sign for their prescription, or use the touchscreen to enter info, or just touch the counter. That's an invitation to get yourself sick if you touch that stuff after them! I never really thought about the grocery store ... But I will from now on! - Bill Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Wizcrafts Report post Posted February 3, 2020 I found this article posted on January 27, 2019, suggesting that the virus won't survive shipping times typical from China. It doesn't address next day shipments though. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Samalan Report post Posted February 3, 2020 It has ben said hide glue can contain anthrax for more than one hundred years! i dont like any of that stuff i'd say if you dont have to touch stuff from there dont. but thats just me. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Hardrada Report post Posted February 3, 2020 7 minutes ago, Samalan said: i'd say if you dont have to touch stuff from there dont. My same stance. Isn't it usual practice to seal envelopes by licking the flap to make the glue tacky? How do we know that those who prepared the parcels weren't holding the stuff in their mouths, or picking their noses, or something whilst packing? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Bob Blea Report post Posted February 3, 2020 The company I work for in my day job has a major manufacturing presence in Shenzhen, China (near Hong Kong) as well as offices in Shanghai and other parts of China, so this was an obvious question for us too. Our health and safety department dug into this early on and the determination was that the virus should only be able to exist on a surface for two days at most, so there should not be any health risks with handling packages. Even things that are sent 'overnight' take more than a day to reach us here in the US, but right now I'm not sure how long anything would take. Even their normal shippers have been shut down or heavily restricted in doing business from our understanding. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kgg Report post Posted February 4, 2020 Once all this settles down, maybe companies may have too look at not having all their manufacturing / suppliers in one country. kgg Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AntiqueCollars Report post Posted February 14, 2020 I just wanted to share this new study for those concerned, in rare cases it can live for 9 days but average is 4-5 days. Lysol it or let it sit for a week or two and you'll probably be fine though. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
fredk Report post Posted March 4, 2020 A sort-of update to this. I recently received some orders from China. One from the mainland and one from Hong Kong. Both suppliers sent me messages about the orders. Both were basically apologies for the delay in fulfilling the orders, due to this virus affecting their workers. But there was more. The HK dealer explained the delay was caused by his/her workers having to go into quarantine and his/her workplace had to be deep cleaned. Both dealers indicated that there was a delay by China Post allowing items out of the country. China Post was holding overseas items for several days before releasing them. This I read as the packages being 'quarantined' for some days. On one of my items it made a delay of 5 / 6 days over ETA, the other was 3 days over ETA but I noticed it had come by air service not the usual slow-boat Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Hardrada Report post Posted March 4, 2020 On 2/13/2020 at 11:28 PM, AntiqueCollars said: I just wanted to share this new study for those concerned, in rare cases it can live for 9 days but average is 4-5 days. Lysol it or let it sit for a week or two and you'll probably be fine though. It actually survives ~28 days on bacteria on surfaces at 4°C. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2863430/ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Tugadude Report post Posted March 4, 2020 8 minutes ago, Hardrada said: It actually survives ~28 days on bacteria on surfaces at 4°C. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2863430/ Thanks for sharing this! Part of the problem with outbreaks of viruses is the initial information not being correct. When this became an issue and we all began talking about it, there was a lot of speculation mixed in with fact. We now know the virus can survive much longer than it was first thought. So I think it is prudent to take appropriate cautions. No need to get stupid about it, like the folks refusing to purchase Corona beer (true story!), but a sensible approach is a good idea. My oldest daughter is a school teacher and the other day they had at least 70 children and about a dozen staff members out with influenza. The custodians did a "deep disinfecting" of the entire building during the night. The chemicals are apparently so strong they cannot do it when the building is occupied. The fact that they take action like that pleases me. They take it seriously and take reasonable action. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
chuck123wapati Report post Posted March 5, 2020 18 hours ago, Tugadude said: Thanks for sharing this! Part of the problem with outbreaks of viruses is the initial information not being correct. When this became an issue and we all began talking about it, there was a lot of speculation mixed in with fact. We now know the virus can survive much longer than it was first thought. So I think it is prudent to take appropriate cautions. No need to get stupid about it, like the folks refusing to purchase Corona beer (true story!), but a sensible approach is a good idea. My oldest daughter is a school teacher and the other day they had at least 70 children and about a dozen staff members out with influenza. The custodians did a "deep disinfecting" of the entire building during the night. The chemicals are apparently so strong they cannot do it when the building is occupied. The fact that they take action like that pleases me. They take it seriously and take reasonable action. agenda 21 by 2030 in progress. Virus spurs hysteria kills old people, puts in place global mandated vaccinations per Bill Gates that sterilize 90+%, or go to a fema camp, does away with paper money even though pin pads are just as dirty, creating a global economy. Easy peasy! Lambs to the slaughter. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Tugadude Report post Posted March 5, 2020 In case others aren't aware of what 'Agenda 21' is... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agenda_21 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
fredk Report post Posted March 15, 2020 Picked up a snippet from one of my model forums. Polish Post is suspending foreign shipments. That is, from Poland. Where one country leads in this others may follow so we may see postal items held or delayed for months. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
klutes Report post Posted March 15, 2020 (edited) I would be more worried about virus survived inside the package on what you ordered than what maybe on the outside of the package. Edited March 15, 2020 by klutes Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Hardrada Report post Posted March 15, 2020 9 minutes ago, klutes said: I would be more worried about virus survived inside the package on what you ordered than what maybe on the outside of the package. Ditto! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
