Lifespan Of The Coronavirus On Different Surfaces

2023 Author: Lynn Laird | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-05-21 21:10

How long can Covid-19 survive on your personal items?: a question that has probably crossed the mind of each of us! Several uncertainties remain about the future of the current pandemic in France and around the world, but here is everything we know about the lifespan of the coronavirus on surfaces and objects that we touch on a daily basis, such as than his smartphone, his keys or the ramp of the metro bar.

Lifespan of the coronavirus or how long does Covid-19 survive on objects?



At the risk of repeating ourselves, it should first of all be remembered that the virus responsible for Covid-19 is transmitted by air. In other words, the risk of contamination increases considerably when an infected person coughs or sneezes within a meter of another person without blocking with his elbow or handkerchief.

The most common mode of transmission is therefore droplets and direct contact between humans. And although there is no vaccine against the virus yet, scientists have managed to identify that it has a certain lifespan in the external environment.

A threat invisible to the naked eye, yet very real. As the Covid-19 pandemic continues to progress in the country, with a significant increase in the number of new contaminations, one question remains: how long is contagious in the air and on the different types of surfaces? The latest studies from the “National Institute of Health” (NIH) have looked strongly at the lifespan of the coronavirus and could hold the answer.

Presence of the virus does not mean contamination

The American virologists, who carried out these tests, in fact tried to compare samples of Covid-19 and samples of SARS-Cov-1, responsible for the SARS epidemic in 2003, on different types of surfaces. They were thus able to conclude that the two viruses had similar persistence times depending on the exterior surfaces, where they can remain active from a few hours to several days.

According to the results of the study, the coronavirus lasts about 4 hours on copper surfaces, 3 hours in the air, 24 hours on cardboard, 3 days on plastic and stainless steel and up to 4 days on wood and glass. Of course, these times can vary and depend on several factors such as temperature, humidity and the amount of virus contaminating the surface.

Consequently, at room temperature, the coronavirus can survive between 4 and 5 days. If, on the other hand, the temperatures exceed 30 ° C, its resistance decreases and it can remain active only for a few hours. As for temperatures below 20 ° C, they favor the persistence of the virus. In this case, it can survive for up to nine days, which largely explains its relative abundance in winter.

The risks of transmission by mail are low

Although global health authorities have never expressed concern about contamination from objects, data provided by NIH may naturally suggest that transmission of Covid-19 through air and objects is quite possible.

However, the presence of particles does not automatically mean contamination. It is therefore unlikely to be contaminated by a banknote or by a package from a country at risk. The activity level of cells normally drop after a few hours. Ditto for the risk of infection.

If hygiene measures are present, potentially contaminated surfaces can be quickly cleaned with a disinfectant spray. The WHO recommends the use of bleach (prescribed dosage: 4 teaspoons for one liter of water).

Basically, everyone must comply with their rules of hygiene and social distance in order to limit the chances of contamination. Now, while bars, restaurants, cinemas, museums and non-food businesses are closed throughout the country, everyone is invited to limit their movements and outings to the strict minimum, as well as to disinfect their phone, keys and especially their hands!