Recently, a woman in Shanghai grabbed a sea bass in a group purchase, and then tested the fish for the new coronavirus antigen, and the result was positive. Previously, a Shanghai citizen posted a video saying that the new coronavirus antigen test on the fish they bought was also positive.
So why did the fish test positive? Is it safe to eat such fish? In this regard, the reporter interviewed relevant experts to answer questions.
The new coronavirus is unlikely to infect fish
“The new coronavirus antigen test detects the protein outside the new coronavirus membrane. If the fish is tested and the result is positive, it means that the fish may be contaminated with the new coronavirus or a false positive.” Chen Chunqi, a professor at the School of Life Sciences of Hubei University, introduced in an interview with reporters that the purchased fish may be contaminated by the new coronavirus if they have had close contact with people infected with the new coronavirus during the fishing, slaughtering, transportation and other links. The virus cannot infect fish.
“There are a series of receptors on the surface of cells, and the new coronavirus can use these receptors to attach to cells, and the ACE2 receptor is one of them.” Chen Chunqi further explained that fish and other seafood are all low-level non-mammalian species. Animals, although they also have ACE2 receptors, are structurally very different from those of higher mammals. The new coronavirus does not bind to the ACE2 receptor of fish, so it is impossible for fish to be infected. At present, there is no report of the new coronavirus infecting fish.
At present, research experiments have shown that the ACE2 receptor of mice can bind to the mutated new coronavirus Omicron strain. In addition, there are reports about minks being infected with the new coronavirus. Earlier, Lu Hongzhou, a member of the National Health and Medical Commission’s Disease Prevention and Control Expert Committee, clearly pointed out in an interview with CCTV: “After people are infected with (new crown virus), they have passed the virus to pet dogs and cats, and there have been case reports.”
Whether it is a new coronavirus antigen test or a nucleic acid test, the test results can only prove that the tested sample contains the extramembrane protein of the new coronavirus or the nucleic acid inside the new coronavirus. Many times, the new coronavirus has been exposed to the air for a long time. Although the surface membrane protein and internal nucleic acid of the virus are still there and can be detected by antigen detection and nucleic acid detection, the virus has been inactivated and has no infectivity.
There is no evidence of gastrointestinal infection with the new coronavirus
From the current evidence, the main ways of contracting the new coronavirus are: direct contact with the respiratory droplets of the new coronavirus infected person, or contact with the hands of objects contaminated by the new coronavirus infected person, and then by the infected person Hands touched the mucous membranes of the eyes, mouth or nasal cavity.
In order to reduce the risk of the spread of the new coronavirus, Chen Chunqi suggested that the public should try not to directly touch raw fish and meat with their hands. Before handling such foods, they can be disinfected with alcohol, and they should wash their hands and wear masks before and after handling. At the same time, the raw and cooked chopping boards should be separated, the food should be cooked thoroughly before eating, and the fruit should be peeled and eaten.
“However, you don’t have to panic too much. Even if some viruses are still infectious, as long as you take precautions when handling food, you can eat it with confidence after washing and cooking it.” Chen Chunqi said.
It is understood that at a press conference held by the Joint Prevention and Control Mechanism of the State Council, Feng Luzhao, a researcher at the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, said that there has been no evidence of infection of the new coronavirus through the human digestive tract through eating food, including seafood products. .
Actually, the instructions for the antigen detection kit clearly state that the test object is a human sample, such as a nasal swab, rather than other samples such as fish gills. “Ordinary residents need to follow the operating procedures in the product manual for the new coronavirus antigen detection product. Virus pollution is different from environmental pollution. There is no need to test each food one by one like environmental sample testing.” Chen Chunqi emphasized.
(Technology Daily)