Coronavirus survives for 28 days on common surface

A recent study reveals that the coronavirus responsible for COVID-19 may survive for up-to 28 days on common surfaces including banknotes, glass and stainless steel. The revelation was made following a laboratory study done by Australia’s national science agency.

The finding, published in the Virology Journal, shows that SARS-CoV-2 can remain infectious on surfaces for a longer period of time, reinforcing the need for good practices such as regular hand washing and cleaning surfaces. The research, undertaken at the Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness (ACDP), found that SARS-CoV-2 survived longer at lower temperatures and on non-porous or smooth surfaces such as glass, stainless steel and vinyl, compared to porous complex surfaces such as cotton.

The researchers at CSIRO, Australia’s national science agency, also found that the novel coronavirus survived longer on paper banknotes than plastic banknotes. “At 20 degrees Celsius, which is about room temperature, we found that the virus was extremely robust, surviving for 28 days on smooth surfaces such as glass found on mobile phone screens and plastic banknotes,” Debbie Eagles, Deputy Director of ACDP added.

However, a study was also carried out in the dark, to remove the effect of UV light as research has demonstrated direct sunlight can rapidly inactivate the virus.