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The covid-19 virus can survive 28 days on banknotes, phone screens and stainless steel, according to an investigation by the Australian scientific agency, which concluded that, contrary to what was supposed, the virus resists longer on some surfaces.
Experts assume that, in addition to being generally transmitted when people cough, sneeze and speak, the virus can also be transmitted by particles in the air or on surfaces such as metal and plastic.
Other laboratory studies conducted previously found that SARS-Cov-2 could survive two to three days on banknotes and glass, and up to six days on plastic and stainless steel, although the results vary.
However, the latest study by Australian agency CSIRO found the virus to be “extremely robust”, allowing it to survive 28 days on smooth surfaces, such as glass in mobile phones and on plastic and paper bills, when kept at 20 ° C, which represents the ambient temperature of a room.
This study shows that covid-19 is much more resistant than the flu virus, which can survive under the same conditions for 17 days.
The experiments were carried out with stable temperature and humidity and in the dark, since it is proven that ultraviolet light kills the virus. Favorable conditions, therefore, that the virus may not find in the real world.
“By establishing how long the virus remains on surfaces, it allows us to more accurately predict and mitigate its spread, and we can improve our work to protect people,” said Larry Marshall, CEO of CSIRO.
The study, published in Virology Journal and cited by the BBC, found that the virus survived for a shorter time at higher temperatures and was no longer infectious within 24 hours when exposed to 40 ° C on some surfaces. In addition, it remained longer on smooth, non-porous surfaces than on porous materials, such as fabric, where the virus was not found after 14 days.
However, these studies emphasize the need for regular hand washing and phone touch screens, but avoid touching your face to minimize the risk of infection.
The study authors admit that SARS-Cov-2’s ability to withstand stainless steel at lower temperatures may explain Covid-19 outbreaks in meat processing and refrigerated storage facilities. After all, thousands of workers have tested positive in these types of factories around the world.
The CSIRO researchers also guarantee that their study confirms previous studies that suggest that the virus can survive in fresh and frozen foods. Even so, the World Health Organization has already assured the opposite: “Currently, there are no confirmed cases of covid-19 transmitted by food or packaging.”
