Coronavirus can live on surfaces for up to 72 hours

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Coronavirus can live on surfaces for up to 72 hours

According to the new Coronavirus (COVID-19) report published in the New England Journal of Medicine, the SARS-CoV-2 virus causing COVID-19 disease can live on surfaces from a few hours up to a few days. Researched founded that the virus can survive  up to 72 hours on plastic, 48 hours on stainless steel, 24 hours on thick cardboard, and 4 hours on copper. COVID-19 virus can be suspended in air for up to 3 hours.

In a special interview conducted by the John Hopkins University, Cell Biology Specialist Prof. Carolyn Machammer was asked asked about the article published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Machammer responded to questions about the survival rate of the virus on surfaces and whether contact should be avoided with surfaces touched by infected;
“What's getting a lot of press and is presented out of context is that the virus can last on plastic for 72 hours—which sounds really scary. But what's more important is the amount of the virus that remains. It's less than 0.1% of the starting virus material. Infection is theoretically possible but unlikely at the levels remaining after a few days. People need to know this.”

Upon being asked how to protect from viruses that transmit from surfaces “It is more likely to take the disease with someone sick, by air, than by taking it from surfaces. " You are more likely to catch the infection through the air if you are next to someone infected than off of a surface. Cleaning surfaces with disinfectant or soap is very effective because once the oily surface coat of the virus is disabled, there is no way the virus can infect a host cell. However, there cannot be an overabundance of caution. Nothing like this has ever happened before.”

The CDC guidelines on how to protect yourself include:
1- Clean and disinfect surfaces that many people come in contact with. These include tables, doorknobs, light switches, countertops, handles, desks, phones, keyboards, toilets, faucets, and sinks. Avoid touching high-contact surfaces in public.
2- Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds immediately when you return home from a public place such as the bank or grocery store.
3- When in a public space, put a distance of two meters between you and others
4- Most importantly, stay home if you are sick and contact your doctor.


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