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The new coronavirus can remain active for weeks on banknotes, glass and other surfaces we encounter in our daily lives, Australia’s best biosafety laboratory has found. The study draws attention to the risks of handling money, touch screen equipment, or various handles and bars, writes Bloomberg.
Researchers from the Australian Center for Disease Prevention have shown that SARS-CoV-2 is “extremely strong” and survives at room temperature (20 degrees Celsius) for 28 days on smooth surfaces such as mobile phone screens or plastic bills, while influenza virus survival time is 17 days.
The virus, stronger at low temperatures
In contrast, the virus survives less than a day on some surfaces if the temperature is 40 degrees, according to a study published in Journal of Virology. Therefore, this research provides new evidence that the new coronavirus survives longer in cold climates, making it more difficult to control in winter than in summer.
“Our results show that SARS-CoV-2 can remain contagious on a variety of surfaces for long periods of time, underscoring the need for good habits such as hand washing and surface cleaning,” said Debbie Eagles, deputy director of the center. .
At the same time, the coronavirus tends to resist better on fine and rough surfaces, compared to harder ones, such as cotton.
The study was funded by the Australian Army and consisted of impregnating artificial mucus with coronavirus on different surfaces, in concentrations similar to those of samples taken from infected patients. The experiment was carried out in the dark, to eliminate the effect of ultraviolet light that can inactivate the virus. The resistance of the virus was thus verified on various surfaces (stainless steel, polymer banknotes, paper, glass, cotton, and plastic banknotes), at different temperatures (20 degrees, 30 degrees and 40 degrees).
Dangerous objects
However, the researchers recognize that the precise role in transmission of the virus played by various surfaces, contact time with these surfaces to reach an infection as well the amount of virus Which ones would be necessary for contamination remains to be determined, but these studies that show, under laboratory conditions, how resistant the virus is on various surfaces, are important for developing risk strategies, especially in areas where contact with these surfaces may be frequent. .
Mobile phone screens, ATMs, supermarket ATMs, airport check-in points They are objects that are frequently touched by multiple people and that are not disinfected regularly and may pose a risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection, the researchers say.
They draw special attention to notes, they have a high circulation. In fact, even before the coronavirus pandemic was declared, China decontaminated paper banknotes and similar measures were considered in South Korea and the United States.
On the other hand, the survival of the coronavirus in stainless steel, the low temperatures, could explain the outbreak of outbreaks in meat processing plants and cold rooms. Traces of coronavirus are known to have been found, including frozen products.
Editor: Luana Pavaluca
