Are supermarkets superspreader centres?

A PIECE in the Daily Mail suggested that some people think they caught Covid as the result of a single trip to the supermarket.

To back up this scary claim, the paper quoted Leicester Royal Infirmary virologist Dr Julian Tang, who suggests supermarkets are an obvi­ous place for infection.

“They’re the epicentre of a community and people from all over town will be there on a pretty regular basis,” said Tang, who believes he caught Covid last May at a supermarket.

“Social distancing can be difficult in super­markets, and many have poor ventilation sys­tems, meaning the virus can linger in the air.

“My wife and I hadn’t been anywhere in months where we had come into contact with people. And then, after a trip to the supermar­ket, I got ill and later tested positive.

“It’s hard to know for sure, but standing next to someone at the checkout, even socially dis­tanced and masked, can be a risk as Covid can pass through the sides of a mask.

“Checkout workers may also be at risk because they come into contact with so many people throughout their shift. Those screens they have in front of them don’t offer much protection.”

The government has said we should even keep visits to supermarkets to a minimum.