Could this be true?

With schools in Ireland planning to reopen by the end of the month, naturally parents have concerns about how the new safety measures will work. There are currently plans for social distancing within groups of students and staggered lunch breaks but could lunchboxes themselves be a source of concern? According to virologist Kim Roberts they might just be. Kim Roberts who is Assistant Professor of Virology at Trinity College Dublin believes that hard surfaces, such as lunchboxes, are more likely to transmit Covid-19 than fabric materials like jackets and school uniforms. Roberts went on to say that while there is little evidence that shows COVID-19 being transmitted via clothing, hard surfaces are a significant risk. These hard surfaces include not just lunchboxes but also desks, pens, pencils and reusable drink bottles. While this all might sound a bit frightening, don't panic. While speaking with RTE Professor Roberts said that labelling items like lunchboxes and pencils and washing them daily will help stop the spread of infection. She also said that while she expects there may be some outbreaks in schools she believes the transmission rates will be low.