Ice cream comes out positive against Covid-19 in China

Ice cream has been found to be infected with COVID-19 in China after three samples tested positive for the virus.

Anti-epidemic authorities in northern China's Tianjin Municipality are tracking down people who may have been in contact with them, which were produced by the Tianjin Daqiaodao Food Company.

All products manufactured by the firm have been sealed and sealed after samples sent this week to the municipal disease control center tested positive for coronavirus.

Initial epidemiological investigations show that the company produced a series of ice creams using raw materials, including powdered milk imported from New Zealand and whey powder imported from Ukraine.

Dr Stephen Griffin, a virologist based at the University of Leeds, told Sky News that development has no room for panic.

"It is possible that this came from a person, and without knowing the details, I think this is a unique case," he said.

"Of course, every level of infection is not acceptable and always a concern, but chances are this is the result of a problem with the manufacturing plant and potentially has to do with factory hygiene."

He explained that the cold temperature at which the ice cream was stored and the fact that it contained fat may explain why the virus had survived in the samples taken, but suggested that the news should not cause great alarm.

"We probably do not need to panic that any ice cream will suddenly be contaminated with coronavirus," he said.

1,662 company employees were quarantined and underwent nucleic acid testing on Thursday following instructions from the Tianjin Center for Disease Control.

Authorities said the company produced 4,836 boxes of ice cream contaminated with COVID-19, 2089 of which were sealed.

A total of 935 boxes of ice cream, out of 2,747 boxes entering the market, were in Tianjin and only 65 were sold in the markets.

Authorities said residents who may have purchased the product should report their health and physical movements to them in their communities.

The city has also informed market regulation authorities in other provinces where the ice cream has been shipped in order to be tracked./A2