Ask A Driver: Will Food Delivery Prevent Me From Getting Coronavirus?

There are several drivers out there who think that doing food delivery is going to better protect them from getting coronavirus. While no scientific studies have been done (probably the last of things on their list.) Before you jump into food delivery, there are a couple things to think about.

For starters, you won’t have anybody in your vehicle. This is important to note, because transmission of any virus occurs when you are in close contact with someone. Doing rideshare, especially in Houston where everyone has a car, really increases your chance of catching the coronavirus. Sure, all of the cases have been travel related, but truth of the matter is, the majority of riders who order a Uber or Lyft in Houston are from out of town and do not have their own vehicle.

On the other hand, picking up from a restaurant means you will encounter a crowd. Health officials around the world have been recommending everyone to avoid large crowds. Sure you may walk straight to the counter and grab the food, but how many people touched that door handle to enter the restaurant before you? The counter? Think of the drivers who may of been feeling sick and decided to do deliveries instead of driving customers before you walked in.

“Coronavirus likely to hit Uber ride-hailing, boost food delivery” – Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi

Let’s think about this statement for a second.

What was your first thought?

That you should sign up for UberEats right? I had the same first thought.

But let’s think about WHY is food delivery going to get a boost from a customers prospective:

1) The customer has been told to avoid large crowds, so they avoid the restaurant, but may still want to eat there.

2) The customer is too sick (from coronavirus) to cook and decides to order in.

#2 is a very real thing. I have delivered in the past to customers that were visibly sick. Not common, maybe half a dozen times. Out of those though, only (1) lady texted me and informed me she was sick and asked that I leave it on her porch so she can grab the soup and not get me sick.

I am hoping the customers with coronavirus will offer to do the same as the lady with the soup, but there is a high chance more than a few won’t. After all, some people will have mild symptoms with coronavirus and will not realize exactly what they have.

So should you deliver? It’s hard to say, the choice really is yours though.