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New research on the coronavirus’s ability to withstand surfaces “for up to 28 days” has been widely picked up by newspapers and news sites, sometimes with alarmed headlines and little background information. Although it is true that the new study carried out in Australia reports greater resistance to the coronavirus in the external environment than expected, it should not be underestimated that it is based on laboratory experiments, carried out in particular circumstances and that are difficult to repeat in the country . everyday life.
The research was conducted by the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO), an Australian government agency, which evaluated the ability of viral particles to remain intact (and thus can still infect) on different surfaces. such as glass, banknote paper and rails. The authors found that the coronavirus remains active for some time at a temperature of around 20 ° C and in the dark. They recorded a maximum duration of 28 days on some surfaces, compared to 17 for resistance of the viruses that cause seasonal flu.
In the study, however, coronaries (SARS-CoV-2) were said to be less resistant to higher temperatures. Kept at 40 ° C, for example, it lost its ability to be infectious after about 24 hours. Viral particles were shown to stay longer on non-porous surfaces, compared to other materials such as textiles, where no traces of the active coronavirus were detected after a couple of weeks.
Experts and virologists have urged not to take Australian research too literally, especially because of the way it was conducted. Its authors used viral particles directly, depositing them on surfaces and keeping them in stable environmental conditions and away from sunlight. It is quite rare for the coronavirus to stay at the same temperature for a long time under normal conditions and not be exposed to light sources that emit ultraviolet rays, which are known to decompose.
Under normal conditions, viruses do not end up just on surfaces, but along with saliva or mucus emitted by a contagious individual. Inside the mucus there are enzymes that have the ability to inactivate viruses, or in any case to accelerate the processes that cause them to disintegrate. For this reason, several researchers believe that most viruses remain active for relatively short times on surfaces, less than can be achieved in laboratory experiments.
The research carried out by the CSIRO, therefore, is not so alarming and does not significantly change the knowledge collected so far about the coronavirus. According to its authors, the study has the advantage of offering some elements on the ability of the virus to withstand constant temperature on surfaces such as stainless steel. This circumstance could explain, at least in part, the numerous cases of outbreaks that have occurred in slaughterhouses in various countries. In places where meat is processed, the temperature is kept constant, as well as isolation from sunlight.
However, even when it comes to slaughterhouses, the main vehicle for contagion is believed to be the air breathed in by dozens, sometimes hundreds, of operators without the ability to easily ventilate the refrigerated environments in which they work.
Although at the beginning of the pandemic it was believed that the main contagion route was contaminated surfaces, for example by someone who touched a mango after coughing, the scientific evidence collected in recent months indicates that many infections occur via air through the Drops of saliva emitted when speaking, coughing, sneezing and in some cases simply breathing (that is why the use of masks is important).
Research carried out on the subject in recent months has led to the conclusion that the probability of the virus being transmitted by surfaces is quite low, compared to other routes of contagion. Not all researchers are convinced yet, but the number of studies indicating this fact is increasing and is leading to increasingly compelling scientific evidence.
Of course, lower risk does not mean that good prevention practices can be ignored. All health institutions recommend washing your hands well and frequently, using disinfectant products for surfaces and avoiding touching your face with dirty hands.
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