First Class Packaging Discusses Coronavirus Awareness and Packaging
15 December 2017
EL CAJON, Calif., March 12, 2020 – In response to a growing concern from businesses over the impact of coronavirus, First Class Packaging has been monitoring the impact of the recently declared pandemic in the packaging industry and questioning if a package can carry the virus.
“The safety of our customers and employees is a top priority at First Class Packaging,” says CEO Sandy Brock. “We are continuously monitoring the Coronavirus (COVID-19) and following the guidance of public health experts in order to maintain a safe environment, while addressing customer concerns.”
“The lifespan of the coronavirus on any surface can be from a few hours to a day or so,” said La Jolla physician, Dr. Douglas Wu, who has a Ph.D. in immunology from Oxford University. “The risk of transmission from a package is very low and would have seen a much wider transmission spread out earlier with many packages coming to the U.S. from China.”
According to the WHO, coronaviruses may survive on surfaces for just a few hours or several days, although many factors will influence this, including surface material and weather. The likelihood of an infected person contaminating commercial goods is low and the risk of catching the virus that causes COVID-19 from a package that has been moved, travelled and exposed to different conditions and temperature is also low.
Wu indicated that, “higher humidity along with moderate temperatures, low wind and solid, non-porous surfaces are needed to allow the virus to survive, but typical shipping conditions make it difficult for the virus to survive, with shifts in temperatures and humidity.”
For those who are overly precautious, consumers can clean the packages they receive or other surfaces with solutions containing 62% to 71% ethanol alcohol, 0.5% hydrogen peroxide, or 0.1% sodium hypochlorite. The coronaviruses could become “efficiently inactivated” on surfaces within one minute using these solutions, according to a recent study from the Journal of Hospital Infection.
About First Class Packaging
Founded in 1987, First Class Packaging is focused on providing first- class service, innovative design solutions and quality products at a competitive price. Those attributes remain the foundation of the company. As an ISO 9001:2015 certified company, First Class Packaging delivers quality products to its customers and is a certified Woman-Owned Small Business (WOSB).
» Read More First Class Packaging was acquired by Larson Packaging Company in July of 2020