A woman who caught coronavirus even though she was self-isolating for three weeks said she believes she caught the disease from a bag of groceries delivered to her door.
Rachel Brummert was shielding herself at home in Charlotte, North Carolina, as she suffers from an autoimmune disorder that makes her vulnerable to COVID-19.
Because of this underlying condition, Brummert had kept her distance from others as a precaution, including her husband who has been living in a separate room.
But despite these measures she still tested positive for the virus last Thursday after beginning to notice symptoms.
Brummert believes she may have caught the virus from a woman who left groceries to her doorstep while she was isolating.
Rachel Brummert was shielding herself at home in Charlotte, North Carolina, when she tested positive for coronavirus
Brummert in hospital after she suffered from a fever, a cough, loss of smell, fatigue, headaches and breathing difficulties
She told WCNC that she did not think to wear gloves when she brought the food bags into her home from the front porch.
Brummert added: ‘I really thought I was doing everything right. I barely had any contact. I didn’t even touch her [the delivery woman].
‘I’m absolutely terrified. This is the sickest I’ve ever been and it’s the most scared I’ve ever been.
‘From what I’m hearing about ventilators, it’s scary stuff. I’m really hoping I can wait this out at home.’
Brummert suffered from a fever, a cough, loss of smell, fatigue, headaches and breathing difficulties.
Apart from the woman who delivered groceries, Brummert only had brief contact with a pharmacist when she last left her house three weeks ago.
Rachel Brummert was self-isolating because she suffers from an autoimmune disorder that makes her vulnerable to coronavirus
Brummert posted images on social media thanking people for their support. She believes she may have caught coronavirus from a woman who delivered groceries to her doorstep while she was isolating
She is hoping her condition will not deteriorate as she is ‘terrified’ of going into a hospital due to her underlying condition.
Brummert added: ‘I’ve had the flu, this is not the flu. It’s a whole other monster.’
North Carolina has recorded more than 4,300 confirmed cases and 89 deaths.
So far, more than 22,000 people died in the US after contracting coronavirus and there are more than 561,000 cases as of Sunday evening.
Around 2,000 deaths a day were reported for the last four days in a row, with the largest number in the US epicenter of New York .
Smithfield meat processing plant has closed its Sioux Falls pork processing plant in South Dokata after around 240 of its employees became infected with COVID-19
At least 42 states have imposed stay-at-home and non-essential travel orders in a desperate bid to halt the spread of the virus.
One of America’s largest pork processing plants has become the third major meat factory forced to close after 240 employees tested positive for coronavirus.
Smithfield meat processing plant, which has 3,700 employees in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, is closing for three days after its employees fell ill.
According to Smithfield, the plant accounts for 4 to 5 percent of the country’s pork production.
Another major meat processor, JBS USA, also stopped operations at its beef plant in Souderton, Pennsylvania, last Thursday for two weeks due to sick employees.
The union representing workers at the plant said two employees have died.
Why you need to wash your fruit and vegetables with SOAP: Virologist confirms that COVID-19 can survive on fresh supermarket produce just like any other surface
A virologist has confirmed that ‘every surface is a hazard’ when it comes to COVID-19 and supermarket customers should be particularly mindful of the loose fruit and vegetables in the store.
Associate professor at the University of Sydney, Timothy Newsome, specializing in infection, vaccines and virology, told FEMAIL that while the virus can live on most surfaces, patrons doing their weekly grocery shop should be particularly wary of the fruit and veg aisle as customers are constantly picking up and placing back down items.
‘We have to remember that every surface is potentially contaminated. And like with any surface there is a risk,’ Newsome explained. ‘We don’t see it as high risk because that comes from sustained contact with other people, but nonetheless it’s important to be mindful.’
Another social media user shared this photograph to demonstrate how their household was now washing their vegetables amid the coronavirus pandemic
It comes after Lisa Mackenzie, from Scotland, shared a photo to Twitter of unopened chocolate bars soaking in a bowl of bubbly water (pictured)
‘It’s early 2020 and you are washing plastic-wrapped treats,’ Lisa captioned her amusing photograph (pictured)
A Michigan doctor has urged people to leave their groceries outside for three days or thoroughly disinfect each food product.
In a YouTube video posted on Tuesday, and which has more than four million views so far, Jeffrey VanWingen, a doctor at Family Medicine Specialists in Grand Rapids, warned customers to take extra care with their food packaging.
He suggests the best way to avoid picking up germs from your groceries is to leave them outside for three days before touching them.
But when this isn’t possible, he shows how he believes people should clean their items – by disinfecting each item with wipes or spray and ridding it of its outside packaging.
‘This all seems a bit time consuming, but, in truth, these days people do have a bit more time on their hands,’ Dr VanWingen said. ‘Let’s be methodical and be safe, and not take any chances.’
Newsome added that it would be ‘poor practice’ to be testing ‘every avocado for coronavirus’ but anything people can touch poses a potential problem.
‘People working in the supermarkets should be picking all of the fruit and veg up and setting it back down with protection,’ he said.
Luckily he noted a large proportion of shelf stackers and general workers wearing gloves and disinfecting their hands at every turn.
The best course of action is to wash your fruit and vegetables with soap as soon as you bring them home, not simply relying on the high heat of cooking them to ‘kill’ the virus.
‘Wash them with warm soapy water, just as you do your hands,’ he said.