AILSA CHANG, HOST:
Whether to order takeout used to be an easy question to answer. Not enough food in the fridge? Get takeout.
MARY LOUISE KELLY, HOST:
Don't feel like cooking? Get takeout.
CHANG: Running short on time? Takeout.
KELLY: But now the question has become complicated. In most states, restaurants have been ordered to shut their doors to dine-in customers to stop the spread of the coronavirus.
CHANG: Which leaves takeout - but is ordering it safe?
KELLY: So according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the answer is generally yes. There is currently no evidence that the virus can be transmitted by food.
CHANG: It's spread by respiratory droplets, so the biggest risk of getting takeout is the contact you might have with other people. So many restaurants are taking extra precautions, such as no-contact pickup and delivery, which protects both you and the delivery worker.
KELLY: Now, once you have your food, you will want to throw away any packaging that it comes in. According to the CDC, it is possible you can get sick from touching a surface that has the virus on it.
CHANG: Once you're done, wash your hands thoroughly - and bon appetit.
(SOUNDBITE OF STACEY KENT SONG, "NEVER LET ME GO") Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.