The Covid-19 pandemic has brought about many changes in the social order of life. People are encouraged to stay indoors and are required to get used to doing everything by utilizing digital technology. Therefore, all activities (such as studying, working, worshiping, and shopping) are carried out online to avoid transmission of diseases caused by viruses or germs.
During a pandemic like this, online shopping is an activity that is often carried out by various groups1, ranging from adults to teenagers. Various products such as clothing, food, electronics, and household needs are often purchased through online platforms, which now have various types. The trend of online shopping is increasingly in demand by the public and has experienced a significant uptick. Apart from making it easier for people, online shopping has also increased during this pandemic because it can minimize the transmission of the virus that occurs during a pandemic.
According to the results of the We Are Social survey in April 2021, 88.1% of internet users in Indonesia used e-commerce services to buy various products in the last few months.2 According to the survey, Indonesia also occupies the first position globally. With the rise of online shopping activities, delivery services have also increased because they are indispensable in the process of delivering goods from online shopping.
Although shopping activities are carried out online, the manual delivery of packages by couriers still has the potential to cause transmission of the coronavirus. A study published by the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) showed that the coronavirus can survive for several hours on objects, depending on the type of surface, temperature, and humidity of the environment.3 However, until now, it is not known exactly how long the coronavirus can survive on the surface of objects. For this reason, we need to be safe when shopping online because there could still be a virus on the surfaces of the packages we receive.
Here are some safety tips when receiving packages during the pandemic:
- If you live in an apartment, ask the courier to leave the package with the receptionist
- Follow health protocols when picking up the package, provide a place for the courier to place the package
- Spray disinfectant (liquid/spray) on the package immediately. If the package is not food, you can spray the outer surface with disinfectant. This step is considered effective enough to protect us from the virus attached to the item
- Open the package when outside the house, for example in the garage or terrace. Avoid bringing the package into the house before it is sprayed with disinfectant (liquid/spray)
- Immediately dispose of the packaging in the trash; try not to combine it with the trash inside the house
- Clean the tools to open the package
- Wash hands immediately using soap and running water for 20-60 seconds
Source:
Sintiawati, N. (2020). Perilaku masyarakat dalam menggunakan media digital di masa pandemi. Jurnal AKRAB!, 11, 11-19. https://jurnalakrab.kemdikbud.go.id/index.php/jurnalakrab/article/view/341
Aerosol and Surface Stability of SARS-CoV-2 as Compared with SARS-CoV-1 https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/nejmc2004973