How
long can Covid-19 survive on surfaces?
February 29, 2020
AS the Covid-19 coronavirus spreads quickly around the world, US
health officials say they are “aggressively” assessing how long it can survive
on surfaces to better understand the risk of transmission.
Based on what is known about
similar coronaviruses, disease experts say the virus is mainly spread from
person to person through coughing or sneezing. Contact with faecal matter from
an infected person may also transmit the virus.
The US Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention says it may be possible for a person to become infected
by touching a surface or object that has the virus on it and then touching
their own mouth, nose or eyes.
An analysis of 22 earlier
studies of similar coronaviruses, including Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome
(SARS) and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) published online this month
in the Journal of Hospital Infection, concluded that human coronaviruses can
remain infectious on inanimate surfaces for up to nine days at room
temperature. However, they can quickly be rendered inactive using common
disinfectants, and may also dissipate at higher temperatures, the authors
wrote. It is not yet clear, however, whether the new coronavirus behaves in a
similar way.
“On copper and steel it’s
pretty typical, it’s pretty much about two hours,” CDC Director Dr. Robert
Redfield told US lawmakers on Thursday, referring to how long the new
coronavirus may be active on those types of materials. “But I will say on other
surfaces - cardboard or plastic - it’s longer, and so we are looking at this.”
The agency said there is likely
a very low risk of spread from products or packaging that are shipped over a
period of days or weeks at ambient temperatures.
A CDC spokeswoman, in an
emailed statement, said the agency is still looking into how contagious the
virus can be when deposited on more common, everyday surfaces.
The Food and Drug
Administration this week said it has no evidence that Covid-19 has been
transmitted from imported goods, but the situation remains “dynamic” and the
agency said it will assess and update guidance as needed.
“The important big take-home
message is that this is probably a small proportion of the transmission of
respiratory viruses,” said Dr. Timothy Brewer, professor of epidemiology and
medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles. “Out in the community,
these viruses are probably not surviving for a long time on surfaces.”
Brewer explained that such
viruses tend to survive the longest in low-temperature, low-humidity
environments, “that is why you see lots of respiratory viruses during the
winter.” - REUTERS
.
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