The refrigerated trucks which were used in the United States of America to store the bodies of coronavirus victims amid the pandemic may return to being used for food transport.
According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday, the trucks will undergo a thorough cleaning, before it is used to transport food once again.
The FDA released a handbook on how to convert the big rigs back to their typical purpose of hauling food — even if blood or bodily fluids leaked inside, in some cases.
“Refrigerated food transport vehicles and refrigerated food storage units used for the temporary preservation of human remains during the COVID-19 pandemic subsequently can be safely used for food transport and food storage under certain circumstances,” the guidance reads.
All surfaces must be “thoroughly cleaned and [then] disinfected,” perhaps several times, with EPA-registered cleaners. Air and water sprays shouldn’t be used and workers may need to wear protective gear while cleaning the tucks, the document says.
In cases where “interior surfaces were in direct contact with blood or bodily fluids,” the FDA says its OK as long as the contaminated area isn’t made out of a material that can’t be properly disinfected, like unfinished wood or cracked fiberglass.
If the vehicle “is permeated by offensive odors that cannot be eliminated through cleaning and disinfecting,” then it should also be tossed, the guidance said.
