Studies say the virus that causes Covid-19 can survive for 28 days on the surface

The virus that causes Covid-19 can survive for up to 28 days on surfaces such as glass, steel, vinyl, paper, and polymer banknotes. Australian researchers said on MondayEnhances the importance of effective cleaning and hand washing to control the spread of the disease.

The· Survey results CSIRO, Australia’s national scientific institution, seems to show that SARS-CoV-2 can survive on the surface much longer than many expected.

The peer-reviewed study also found that the virus responsible for Covid-19 disease was “very robust” at low temperatures and remained infectious for longer periods of time compared to high temperatures.

Researchers tested the viability of the artificial mucus-dried virus in six common surface areas at three different temperatures. However, all experiments were conducted in the dark, as UV light has already been shown to kill the virus.

The coronavirus mainly spreads from person to person through small droplets from the nose and mouth when an infected person coughs, sneezes, or speaks.

However, the World Health Organization also states that if these droplets land on an object or surface, they can become infected because people who touch these surfaces can touch their eyes, nose, or mouth. ..

United Nations Health Organization to Protect Yourself Recommended People keep a distance of at least 1 meter from others and disinfect frequently touched surfaces. It is also advisable to clean your hands thoroughly and frequently to avoid touching your eyes, mouth and nose.

To date, more than 37.4 million people have been infected with the coronavirus and 1.07 million have died, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University.

CSIRO researchers have tested SARS-CoV-2 on several surfaces at 20 degrees Celsius, 30 degrees Celsius, and 40 degrees Celsius, keeping relative humidity at 50%. The surfaces used in the study were stainless steel, glass, vinyl, paper and polymer banknotes, and cotton cloth.

The researchers said liquid droplets containing the virus were dried on multiple small test surfaces and left for up to 28 days at concentrations similar to those observed in infected patients.

In this study, published in the Virology Journal, the virus survived 28 days in the dark on smooth surfaces such as stainless steel, glass, vinyl, and paper polymer banknotes, kept at nearly room temperature at 20 degrees Celsius. I understand. ..

This study does not elaborate on whether SARS-CoV-2 RNA or live virus was identified on the surface. CNBC contacted the author for comment.

When tested at 40 degrees Celsius, the virus ceased infectivity on some surfaces within 24 hours. At 30 degrees Celsius, virus viability decreased in 3 days for cotton and vinyl and 7 days for glass, steel, and polymer banknotes.

“These findings show that SARS-CoV-2 can remain infectious for much longer than is generally thought to be possible,” the study’s authors said, potentially causing infection. He said further research on the number of certain virus particles was still needed.

Researchers said that whether a surface virus particle infects someone depends on several conditions, and the time it takes for the virus to inactivate naturally also depends on many factors.

“The composition of the virus itself, the type of surface the virus is, and whether the virus is liquid or dry can affect how long the virus can survive. Environmental conditions such as temperature, exposure to sunlight, and humidity can also affect it. “They said. ..

One previous laboratory test Published in The Lancet Medical Journal SARS-CoV-2 has been found to survive 3 days on banknotes and glass and up to 6 days on plastic and stainless steel.

By comparison, influenza A virus has been shown to survive for 17 days on the surface.