How Long Can the Covid-19 Virus Survive on Common Surfaces?

Posted on by Jesse Santiano, M.D.

 

The SARS-CoV-2 virus is responsible for causing Covid-19 that has infected more than 1.3 million and killed almost 74 thousand people all over the world.

For easier reading, I will use SARS-2 in place of SARS-CoV-2 in some parts of the article.

Lancet recently published a study about long can SARS-CoV-2 viruses survive in different temperatures and surfaces.

SARS-CoV-2 Virus at Different temperatures

First, they examined how long the SARS-2 virus survives at different temperatures.

At 4°Centigrade (C) or 39.2°Fahrenheit (F), the virus survived up to 14 days.

At 70° C or  158°F, the virus was inactivated at 5 minutes.

TABLE. Stability of SARS-CoV-2 Virus at different Environmental Conditions. U means undetected. N.D. means not done.

TCID 50/ml is the amount of virus required to kill 50% of infected hosts or to produce a cytopathic effect in 50% of inoculated tissue culture cells. TCID50 is an estimate of an infectious dose.

ice_screenshot_20200406-161950
Lancet

SARS-CoV-2 on Different Surfaces

The length of time that the SARS-2 virus can survive on different surfaces was tested at a temperature of 22°C or 71.6°F with a relative humidity of around 65%.

The following is the amount of time it takes before the virus is no longer detectable from each surface.

  • Print paper and tissue paper – 3 hours.
  • Wood and cloth – 2 days.
  • Glass and Bank Notes (smooth surfaces) –  4 days
  • Stainless steel and plastic – 7 days
  • Surgical masks – viruses present until –  7 days

ice_screenshot_20200406-161718

Effects of Various Disinfectants

  • The SARS-2 can survive for 5 minutes with hand soap but were undetected at 15 minutes.
  • After using different kinds of disinfectants at room temperature, No SARS-CoV- 2 viruses were detected after 5 minutes. See the whole list of disinfectants used in the table below.
ice_screenshot_20200406-170517
Lancet

Take Away Messages

  1. SARS-CoV-2 viruses are stable on many surfaces.
  2. Common disinfectants can quickly kill them.
  3. Surgical masks stay contaminated for 7 days. The possibility of reinfection exists if reused.

Helpful Resources:

From the CDC. All highlights are mine for emphasis.

How to clean and disinfect:
Hard (Non-porous) Surfaces
  • Wear disposable gloves when cleaning and disinfecting surfaces. Gloves should be discarded after each cleaning. If reusable gloves are used, those gloves should be dedicated to cleaning and disinfection of surfaces for COVID-19 and should not be used for other purposes. Consult the manufacturer’s instructions for cleaning and disinfection products used. Clean hands immediately after gloves are removed.
  • If surfaces are dirty, they should be cleaned using a detergent or soap and water before disinfection.
  • For disinfection, the most common EPA-registered household disinfectants should be effective.
    • A list of products that are EPA-approved for use against the virus that causes COVID-19 is available here pdf icon external icon. Follow manufacturer’s instructions for all cleaning and disinfection products for (concentration, application method and contact time, etc.).
    • Additionally, diluted household bleach solutions (at least 1000ppm sodium hypochlorite) can be used if appropriate for the surface. Follow manufacturer’s instructions for application, ensuring a contact time of at least 1 minute and allowing proper ventilation during and after application. Check to ensure the product is not past its expiration date. Never mix household bleach with ammonia or any other cleanser (very important or else dangerous gases can form. Unexpired household bleach will be effective against coronaviruses when properly diluted.
  • Prepare a bleach solution by mixing:
    • 5 tablespoons (1/3rd cup) bleach per gallon of water or
    • 4 teaspoons bleach per quart of water

Cleaning And Disinfecting Your Home

Cleaning and Disinfection for Households – in Detail

Disinfectants for Use Against SARS-CoV-2

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Don’t Get Sick!

Related Reads:

  1. How Long does the Covid-19 Virus Float in the Air and Stay on Surface?

  2. 5 Reasons why Covid-19 Spreads Fast

  3. New Study Explains the Rapid Spread of Covid-19

  4. The Secondary Attack Rate of Covid-19

  5. 10 Reasons Why the Wuhan Coronavirus Pneumonia is a Nightmare

  6. The Complete Covid-19 Articles

References:

Chin et al. Stability of SARS-CoV-2 in different environmental conditions. Lancet. Published: April 02, 2020, DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/S2666-5247(20)30003-3

Stability of SARS-CoV-2 in different environmental conditions: Appendix 

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