THE AMAZON PACKAGE
Just how safe is a package f rom Amazon? Sequestered alone in self- isolation, diligently removed from the rest of society, we’ve sharply reduced our risk of infection — there aren’t many opportunities to get sick when you’re cooped up at home. But one of the last remaining vestiges of ordinary, face-to-face human encounters happens when a harmless-looking cardboard box arrives at the front door and we become understandably anxious about the safety of handling it.
Is that afternoon Amazon Prime delivery dangerous? Could shipments be spreading COVID-19?
The short answer is: no, probably not. When it was first revealed that the coronavirus could be detected on surfaces such as plastic and stainless steel for upwards of two to three days, people were j ustifiably alarmed. But as Joseph G. Allen, an assistant professor of exposure and assessment science at Harvard, clarified recently in an op- ed for the Washington Post, just because the virus is “detectable” doesn’t mean it necessarily poses a threat.
Even if an Amazon driver were infected, and coughed or sneezed directly onto your package, and you took it immediately into your home, the overwhelming likelihood is that you’d be fine. “If you take basic precautions” he writes, “the danger from accepting a package from a delivery driver or takeout from a local restaurant or from buying groceries is de minimis.”
But while the risk posed to consumers by packages remains low, the people actually delivering these packages door to door are in constant jeopardy. As Amazon emerges as one of the few financial victors amid this global pandemic, seeing massive increases to its stock price and an enormous spike in sales, its treatment of employees and its approach to workplace safety have faced intense scrutiny and criticism.
CNN reported last week that despite the company’s “expressions of support for its workforce,” many Amazon employees insist that the official messaging “doesn’t always match what they have seen inside the company’s warehouses,” keeping them concerned “about crowded hiring events and training sessions, limited access to disinfectant wipes, and the company’s overall ability to follow through on its commitments.”
In the midst of a worldchanging crisis, packages have never been more essential, and as we attempt to adjust to a life of social distancing and shuttered businesses, we will be relying on deliveries more and more. The people on the frontlines making deliveries in the face of this threat have been rightly lauded for their courage, but we have an obligation to do all we can to keep these people safe. They need access to face masks and other protection, time off to recover and remain healthy, better wages to compensate for risk.
For those of us stuck at home, the Amazon package remains absolutely crucial. But even more important is the health and safety of the people who bring them to us.