Coronavirus pandemic which took the lives of almost 11,000 people around the world has already spread to 181 countries and territories. After the outbreak, one main question that prevailed was, how long does this virus survive?
According to a new study by the US National Institutes of Health (NIH), Coronavirus can survive on some surfaces for days and in the air for several hours.
Their study that was published in the New England Journal of Medicine shows that the virus could survive in droplets for up to three hours after being coughed out into the air.
Coronavirus in different surfaces:
The NIH study also found that the virus survives for longer on cardboard – up to 24 hours – and up to 2-3 days on plastic and stainless-steel surfaces.
The findings suggest the virus might last this long on door handles, plastic-coated or laminated worktops and other hard surfaces. The researchers did find, however, that copper surfaces tended to kill the virus in about four hours.
Nevertheless, there is a speedier option: research has shown that coronaviruses can be inactivated within a minute by disinfecting surfaces with 62-71 per cent alcohol, or 0.5 per cent hydrogen peroxide bleach or household bleach containing 0.1 per cent sodium hypochlorite.
The ability of the virus to linger for so long only underlines and affirms the importance of social distancing, hand hygiene and cleaning of surfaces.
So do follow the guidelines shared by health professionals.
One Comment