How long does COVID-19 survive in our environment?

How long does coronavirus COVID-19 survive in our environment?

Recent research found that acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) was detectable in aerosols for up to 3 hours, up to 4 hours on copper, up to 24 hours on cardboard and up to 2 to 3 days on plastic and stainless steel.

The results provide key information about the stability of SARS-CoV-2, which causes COVID-19 disease, and suggests that people may acquire the virus through the air and after touching contaminated objects.

It is important to disinfect any things which is made from plastic and stainless steel more carefully.

This study reveals the risk of transmission via these surfaces are much higher than aerosol, explaining why WHO (World Health Organization) insists on washing hands which is more important than wearing a mask.

It should be noted that there appears to be good evidence that wearing a mask can be helpful provided that it blocks something as small as a virus.

Reference: Van Doremalen, Neeltje, et al. “Aerosol and surface stability of HCoV-19 (SARS-CoV-2) compared to SARS-CoV-1.” medRxiv (2020).