What is the risk of COVID-19 infection from animals or animal products imported from affected areas?

What is the risk of COVID-19 infection from animals or animal products imported from affected areas?

There is no evidence that any of the animals or animal products authorised for entry into the European Union pose a risk to the health of EU citizens as a result of the presence of COVID-19.

How does COVID-19 change when it infects animals, and what are the implications?

See full answerSARS-CoV-2 spreads primarily through human-to-human transmission, but there is evidence of transmission between humans and animals. Several animals like mink, dogs, domestic cats, lions, tigers and raccoon dogs have tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 after contact with infected humans.There have been reports of large animal outbreaks in mink farms in several countries. SARS-CoV-2 can change while infecting minks. It has been observed that these mink variants are able to transmit back into humans through close contact with the mink. Preliminary results suggest that the mink variants infecting humans appear to have the same properties as other variants of the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

Is coronavirus a disease?

Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is an infectious disease caused by a newly discovered coronavirus.

Is coronavirus disease zootonic?

All available evidence for COVID-19 suggests that SARS-CoV-2 has a zoonotic source.

What is the risk of COVID-19 infection from food products?

The main route of transmission of coronaviruses in humans is through inhalation of respiratory droplets. There have been no reports in Europe of transmission of COVID-19 via consumption of food or the handling of food and food packaging. The risk of infection via this route is therefore considered very low, although it cannot be completely excluded. Nevertheless, basic hygienic precautions should be applied to prevent food-related infections, including washing hands after the handling of packages and before preparing and consuming food.

What is the risk of getting COVID-19 from packages delivered through the postal system?

Experiments (e.g. in controlled relative humidity and temperature) have shown that the virus causing COVID-19 can survive up to 24 hours on cardboard. However, these findings do not relate directly to real-life conditions. In practice, there is no evidence of COVID-19 transmission through contaminated packages. It is nevertheless recommended that you should wash your hands rigorously and frequently after having touched various surfaces and this includes packages.

When was COVID-19 first identified?

On 31 December 2019, WHO was informed of cases of pneumonia of unknown cause in Wuhan City, China. A novel coronavirus was identified as the cause by Chinese authorities on 7 January 2020 and was temporarily named “2019-nCoV”.

What are some of the common side effects of the COVID-19 vaccine?

Reported side effects to COVID-19 vaccines have mostly been mild to moderate and short-lasting. They include: fever, fatigue, headache, muscle pain, chills, diarrhoea, and pain at the injection site. The chances of any of these side effects following vaccination differ according to the specific COVID-19 vaccine.

How severe is the coronavirus disease?

Most people infected with the COVID-19 virus will experience mild to moderate respiratory illness and recover without requiring special treatment. Older people, and those with underlying medical problems like cardiovascular disease, diabetes, chronic respiratory disease, and cancer are more likely to develop serious illness.

What does COVID-19 stand for?

‘CO’ stands for corona, ‘VI’ for virus, and ‘D’ for disease. Formerly, this disease was referred to as ‘2019 novel coronavirus’ or ‘2019-nCoV.’ The COVID-19 virus is a new virus linked to the same family of viruses as Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) and some types of common cold.

What does it mean that coronaviruses are zoonotic?

Coronaviruses are zoonotic, meaning they are transmitted between animals and people. Detailed investigations found that SARS-CoV was transmitted from civet cats to humans and MERS-CoV from dromedary camels to humans. Several known coronaviruses are circulating in animals that have not yet infected humans.

Can smoking waterpipes spread the coronavirus disease?

Smoking waterpipes, also known as shisha or hookah, often involves the sharing of mouth pieces and hoses, which could facilitate the transmission of the COVID-19 virus in communal and social settings.

Can COVID-19 be transmitted through food?

There is currently no evidence that people can catch COVID-19 from food. The virus that causes COVID-19 can be killed at temperatures similar to that of other known viruses and bacteria found in food.

Is it safe to go to grocery stores and other food markets during COVID-19?

Yes, it is generally safe to go grocery shopping and to markets by following the below prevention measures:• Clean your hands with sanitizer before entering the store.• Cover a cough or sneeze in your bent elbow or tissue.• Maintain at least a 1-metre distance from others, and if you can’t maintain this distance, wear a mask (many stores now require a mask).• Once home, wash your hands thoroughly and also after handling and storing your purchased products. There is currently no confirmed case of COVID-19 transmitted through food or food packaging.

How long does the virus that causes COVID-19 last on surfaces?

Recent research evaluated the survival of the COVID-19 virus on different surfaces and reported that the virus can remain viable for up to 72 hours on plastic and stainless steel, up to four hours on copper, and up to 24 hours on cardboard.

Can you contract COVID-19 from touching surfaces?

People may also become infected by touching surfaces that have been contaminated by the virus when touching their eyes, nose or mouth without cleaning their hands. Further research is ongoing to better understand the spread of the virus and which settings are most risky and why.

What is the origin of COVID-19?

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is a novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus. It was first isolated from three people with pneumonia connected to the cluster of acute respiratory illness cases in Wuhan. All structural features of the novel SARS-CoV-2 virus particle occur in related coronaviruses in nature.

How long have coronaviruses existed?

The most recent common ancestor (MRCA) of all coronaviruses is estimated to have existed as recently as 8000 BCE, although some models place the common ancestor as far back as 55 million years or more, implying long term coevolution with bat and avian species.

What are the mild-to-moderate side effects of the COVID-19 vaccine?

Mild-to-moderate side effects, like a low-grade fever or muscle aches, are normal and not a cause for alarm: they are signs that the body’s immune system is responding to the vaccine, specifically the antigen (a substance that triggers an immune response), and is gearing up to fight the virus.

Who should not take the Astrazeneca COVID-19 vaccine?

People with a history of severe allergic reaction to any component of the vaccine should not take it. The vaccine is not recommended for persons younger than 18 years of age pending the results of further studies.