A tweet claims people should avoid consuming ice cream and other cold food products to help prevent contracting the new coronavirus.

Coronavirus is killing people. Some of it’s symptoms are:
runny nose.
headache.
cough.
sore throat.
fever.

How to avoid it:
Wash your hands before eating
Avoid eating and drinking cold drinks, ice cream etc
Maintain hygiene

You can treat coronavirus the same way you treat cold

— Arpita (@stay_awaaay) January 29, 2020

Verdict: False

There is no evidence that ice cream or other cold food products can transmit the new coronavirus.

Fact Check:

The claim about avoiding the consumption of cold food and drinks is one of numerous dubious coronavirus prevention tips that have been making the rounds on social media in recent months. (RELATED: Can Colloidal Silver ‘Kill’ Coronavirus?)

However, the World Health Organization has debunked this claim on the “Fact or Fiction” section of its website, stating, “There is no scientific evidence that eating hygienically made frozen food and ice-cream spreads the new coronavirus.”

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also notes on its website that, because of the poor survivability of coronaviruses on surfaces, the risk of spread from food products that have been shipped at refrigerated or frozen temperatures is very low. COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus, primarily spreads from person-to-person through respiratory droplets.

At press time, 713,171 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 33,597 deaths have been documented worldwide, according to Johns Hopkins University.