Things I'm doing:

1) only use a shopping bag that I've not used for >4 days. When done with the shopping put it at the back of the queue.

2) Try and keep 4 days ahead of yourself, so when you put stuff away it won't get touched again over that time.

3) With most goods I place them in direct sunshine for at least an hour, turning occasionally, prior to putting them away. Viruses are not keen on direct sunshine - combination of the UV and energy causing their dehydration.

4) Plus the usual washing/disintection procedures after the above.

None of these eliminate risk. That is almost impossible. They significantly reduce the risk, however.

We just don't know what will happen, things could go the other way too with a popular demand for more international cooperation (like after WW2). Or not much change at all.

The risks from these wet markets threaten our very existence as a species on this Planet. I don't think there is anything more important and therefore it's absurd to say we have no right to change it... Hmmmm 

Extracts from article in New Scientist

Covid-19 is a respiratory illness and is largely spread via droplets in the air, says John Lednicky, a virologist who studies coronaviruses at the University of Florida. These are typically expelled when an infected person coughs or sneezes.

So, is it worth trying to disinfect your online shopping when it arrives at your home? Lednicky doesn’t think so. Most household cleaning products won’t kill coronaviruses, he says. And even if you use a product that does, you’re unlikely to be able to clean every nook and cranny of, for example, a bunch of grapes. It is more practical to practise social distancing and good personal hygiene, he says.

https://www.newscientist.com/article/2238494-how-long-does-coronavirus-stay-on-surfaces-and-can-they-infect-you/#

At work 72 hours  (3 days) was touted and they  are cleaning stainless steel door handles regularly (this is a Govt. scientific establishment so I would expect the NHS to be following the same idea).  I would imagine that  risk of viability would decrease  over time  but   3 days is the theoretical end point of the risk on hard surfaces (i.e zero risk).

I agree it would be nice to know how fast the risk reduced over time so that some kind of balanced judgement  could be taken.  At the moment I'm a bit "Howard Hughes" about it all !

I'd also love to know whether I've actually had it -it's possible as  a while back I had a minor cough.  Even that  is very usual for me - even with colds !

This was probably written before the high mortality rates observed in Europe? 

This is in part why I've gone down the soap route - washing a tin in soapy water (or a bunch of bananas before putting in the fruit bowl), you can be pretty sure you've got every bit of it. With a wipe... I found it was much harder to be sure. Also, it's about working out when something was in contact with people. So the grapes in a punnet in a plastic film bag, you can be pretty sure those grapes have not been touched for over 3 days. What matters then is soaping the packaging - or just discarding it.

These disinfecting 'stations' were increasingly used in China in February.

I can't find the link I saw originally on this, but this gives a good idea. The key is the half life on different materials. I really think after 72 hours there is very little left.

https://twitter.com/emollick/status/1239959134990028800?s=19

Well worth a read.. 

Can you catch the coronavirus twice? We don’t know yet

We don’t have enough evidence yet to know if recovering from covid-19 induces immunity, or whether any immunity would give long-lasting protection against the coronavirus

https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg24532754-600-can-you-catch-the-coronavirus-twice-we-dont-know-yet/

The problem we have is the culture throughout the provision of funding for the public sector that sees them resourced to a level that just about allows them to function during normal times (much of the time only coping on the face of it due to the selfless sacrifices of staff putting in ungodly hours and going above and beyond). Any stress on the system and they struggle to avoid crumbling completely. 

UVC lamps

More on killing the little buggers here:

https://theconversation.com/coronavirus-household-cleaning-products-can-kill-the-virus-an-expert-on-which-ones-to-use-134301

Notably it says about surface wipes:

"The antiseptic works well on bacteria as well as on coronaviruses that infect mice and dogs – but it seems to make no difference to the spread of human coronavirus."

Soon to be seen in UK streets? 

Another drop #3dayperiodicity

Tommorow is the big jump day, don't be alarmed by a big figure tommorow.

My understanding is that this is what Greece has done: give 800 euros (via bank transfer) to everyone who files a tax return or PAYE (up to a specific limit) so rich people don't get it.

Q - Can you explain this to me? why do we get a drop and then a bounce back ?

Cheers 

That's still rubbish really , we are some way off the 10,000 and miles away from the 25,000