SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19 disease, can survive in the laboratory for up to 28 days on smooth surfaces such as paper money, stainless steel and glass of smartphones, among others. That is the conclusion of a study published Monday from the Australian National Science Institute CSIRO.
The virus was tested under controlled laboratory conditions at different temperatures and in the dark, because UV light renders the virus quickly inactive. The researchers concluded that SARS-CoV-2 survives longer in colder temperatures and on smooth surfaces, unlike porous surfaces such as cotton. The virus also survives in such circumstances longer than other viruses such as the flu virus, which can survive for up to seventeen days.
According to CSIRO, the research shows how resilient SARS-CoV-2 is and underlines the importance of hand washing and cleaning surfaces, even though the virus probably survives in the outside world for a considerably shorter time. The research may also help explain why the virus often spreads in cooler conditions such as at meat processing companies. The study is published in Scientific magazine Virology Journal.
This article is also part of our live blog: RIVM: 6,854 positive tests reported, an increase of 500
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