The re-escalation of COVID-19 cases raises awareness about whether the Corona virus can survive on the surface of inanimate objects or not. The results of the study reveal that the Corona virus can last on the surface of objects longer than we think.
According to the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the Corona virus has the potential to survive on surfaces for up to 17 days. This data is based on their findings on the Diamond Princess cruise ship which at the beginning of the pandemic, around February 2020, was quarantined before its passengers were allowed to go home.
"SARS-CoV-2 RNA was identified on various surfaces in the cabin of both symptomatic and asymptomatic infected passengers up to 17 days after the Diamond Princess cabin was emptied, but before any disinfection procedures were performed," the report said.
"However, this data cannot be used to determine whether transmission occurred from a contaminated surface or not. Further research is needed on the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 aboard this cruise ship," he continued.
Research has also shown that the Corona virus can be inactivated by disinfecting surfaces with 62-71% alcohol, or bleach containing 0.5% hydrogen peroxide or household bleach containing 0.1 percent sodium hypochlorite.
Higher temperatures and humidity also tend to cause the Corona virus to die more quickly, although studies have shown that another relative of the Corona virus that causes SARS, can die from temperatures above 56 degrees Celsius at a rate of about 10,000 virus particles every 15 minutes.
While there is no data on how many virus particles are in a single droplet expelled in a single cough, research on flu viruses shows that the smaller droplets can contain tens of thousands of copies of the influenza virus.
However, this number can vary depending on the type of virus itself, where it is found in the respiratory tract, and the stage of infection of the person coughing it.
On clothing and other surfaces that are more difficult to disinfect, it is not clear how long the virus can survive. The absorbent properties of natural fibers such as cardboard for example, however, can cause viruses to dry more quickly than plastics and metals.
Basically, this means that we cannot assume that our objects are not contaminated. What we can do is always maintain cleanliness.