How long can the new coronavirus last on surfaces?

[riversedge]

I have glanced through many articles such as this.
Frequent Hand washing for 20 seconds is a common theme. good old soap and water.
BTW---20 seconds is a LONGGGGGGGGGGGG time when washing your hands.
I used to work in a neonatal unit and we had timers. It is so easy to cheat or count fast.


How long can the new coronavirus last on surfaces?

https://www.livescience.com/how-long-coronavirus-last-surfaces.html

By Yasemin Saplakoglu - Staff Writer 10 days ago

Some coronaviruses can linger on surfaces for up to 9 days.

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This scanning electron microscope image shows SARS-Cov-2 (yellow) among human cells (pink). This virus was isolated from a patient in the U.S.
(Image: © NIAID-RML)

China's central bank is taking steps to deep clean and even destroy its cash out of fears that the new coronavirus can survive on the surface of money and potentially spread, according to CNN.

But how long can the new coronavirus linger on surfaces, anyway? The short answer is, we don't know. But if this new coronavirus resembles other human coronaviruses, such as its "cousins" that cause SARS and MERS, it can stay on surfaces — such as metal, glass or plastic — for as long as nine days, according to a new study. (In comparison, flu viruses can last on surfaces for only about 48 hours.)


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In the new study, researchers analyzed several dozen previously published papers on human coronaviruses (other than the new coronavirus) to get a better idea of how long they can survive outside of the body. The authors found that these coronaviruses can linger on surfaces for over a week but that some of them don't remain active for as long at temperatures higher than 86 degrees Fahrenheit (30 degrees Celsius). The authors also found that these coronaviruses can be effectively wiped away by household disinfectants.

[icymist]

1. From the WHO:

It is not certain how long the virus that causes COVID-19 survives on surfaces, but it seems to behave like other coronaviruses. Studies suggest that coronaviruses (including preliminary information on the COVID-19 virus) may persist on surfaces for a few hours or up to several days. This may vary under different conditions (e.g. type of surface, temperature or humidity of the environment).

If you think a surface may be infected, clean it with simple disinfectant to kill the virus and protect yourself and others. Clean your hands with an alcohol-based hand rub or wash them with soap and water. Avoid touching your eyes, mouth, or nose.

https://www.who.int/news-room/q-a-detail/q-a-coronaviruses