A new study revealed that the Corona virus and other coronaviruses can survive on frozen meat and fish for up to 30 days, according to the “health” website.
The research – prompted by the outbreak of the Corona virus in Asia where researchers suspected packaged meat was the source of the virus – was conducted on chicken, beef and frozen salmon.
“Although you may not store meat in the refrigerator for 30 days, you can store it in the freezer for as long,” said study first author Emily Bailey, associate professor of public health at Campbell University in Boise Creek, North Carolina.
And her team conducted its research without using the actual coronavirus that causes the coronavirus. Instead, the researchers relied on alternative viruses with similar protein mutations.
These similar viruses were placed on frozen meat and fish, which were then stored at refrigerator temperatures (39.2 degrees Fahrenheit) and freezer temperatures (-4 degrees Fahrenheit).
“We even found that viruses can be cultured following [تجميدها] for that period of time.”
The researchers explained that their findings are important because the Corona virus can multiply in the intestine, not just in the respiratory system where most people feel its effects.
Three viral strains were used as a surrogate in the study, including two animal viruses as a surrogate for MERS in previous studies.
The researchers found that viruses were not as good at refrigerated temperatures as they were at freezer temperatures. Numbers also varied by food.
“Continuous efforts are needed to prevent contamination of foods, food processing surfaces, workers’ hands, and food processing tools such as knives,” the authors wrote, adding that disinfecting foods prior to packaging also needed to be processed.
Corona remains on meat
