The coronavirus lasts longer than expected on the surface, scientists say


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How often coronavirus transmission occurs from touching contaminated surfaces is still a complete prevention.

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Coronavirus transmission is thought to occur primarily through prolonged and close person-to-person contact. That is why it is important to mask up, maintain social distance and wash hands to prevent infection. But from the early days Nationwide epidemic Scientists have also tried to understand how the SARS-COVID-2, COVID-19 virus, can survive and spread through it. Contaminated surfaces.

New research by scientists from Australia’s National Science Agency, CSIRO, suggests that the SARS-Cavi-2 lasts longer than expected on obscure surfaces. The study, published in the Journal of Virology on Monday, was conducted under controlled laboratory conditions and in the dark, but showed the hardness of SARS-Cove-2 when conditions were right. Only OK.

“Our results show that SARS-CoV-2 can remain infectious on the surface for longer periods of time, reinforcing the need for good practices such as regular handwashing and surface cleaning,” said Debbie Eagles, deputy director of the Australian Australian Center for Disease Preparation. (ACDP).

The team isolated the virus and created a solution described as “artificial saliva” that contained viral particles at the same concentration as those found in infected patients. They placed drops of the mixture on a variety of surfaces, including plastic and paper banknotes, stainless steel, cotton and vinyl. They also placed glasses used in ATMs, check-outs and mobile phones for testing.

The team’s goal was to find out if the infected virus remained on the surface after exposure to temperatures of 20, 30 and 40 degrees Celsius (68, 86 and 104 degrees Fahrenheit). They sampled the material at five different time points ranging from one hour to 28 days.

Their results showed that the virus could survive at 20 દિવસ C for at least 28 days – similar to the reported figures for the original SARS virus, but longer than previously published data on SARS-Covi-2. One important discovery, the researchers wrote, is the ability to choose from something like a smartphone screen for glass and the SARS-Covi-2.

However, the team noted that the study was conducted under controlled conditions, which could improve the survival time of the virus. Rising temperatures have reduced the virus’s ability to survive. At 40 C, SARS-CoV-2 will no longer be viable within 48 hours. In the opposite direction, at fairly cold temperatures, the virus may be even more likely to survive.

“The research could also help explain the apparent concentration and spread of SARS-Cavi-2 in cold environments with high lipid or protein contamination, such as meat processing facilities,” said Trevor Drew, director of ACDP. Meat There have been several examples of COVID-19 outbreaks in meat packing facilities in Australia.

In this study the evidence for the resilience of SARS-COV-2 to the elements increases with increasing body weight, but does not resolve the discussion of transmission through infected surfaces.

“The exact role of surface transport, the degree of surface contact and the amount of virus required for infection remains to be determined,” Eagles noted. “It’s important to establish how long the virus survives on the surface to develop a risk reduction strategy in high-contact areas.”

The argument for “foamite transmission” – infection by contaminated surfaces – has appeared several times during the epidemic, stretching to March. Some studies have shown that coronaviruses can survive on a variety of surfaces but it is unclear how this relates outside the lab. In July, a comment published in the prestigious medical journal The Lancet suggested that the risk of transmission by fomites was “exaggerated” because studies are mostly done in labs that do not accurately mimic real-world scenarios.

The CDC notes “COVID-19 is less spread by contact with contaminated surfaces,” and the main mechanisms of infection are by drops and Aerosols of infected individuals.

While disinfectants may be more incentive to destroy your smartphone screen, the main health advice for most people doesn’t change: mask up, social distance and wash your hands.

11 Oct Update: Title changed to reflect quotes, Eagles quote specified.