{"id":5298,"date":"2020-03-18T04:00:21","date_gmt":"2020-03-18T04:00:21","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/zestmag.com\/online\/?p=5298"},"modified":"2020-03-18T13:46:31","modified_gmt":"2020-03-18T13:46:31","slug":"covid-19-can-persist-in-air-for-hours-and-on-surfaces-for-days-study","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/zestmag.com\/online\/covid-19-can-persist-in-air-for-hours-and-on-surfaces-for-days-study\/","title":{"rendered":"Covid-19 can persist in air for hours and on surfaces for days – study"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Covid-19 can remain viable and infectious in droplets in the air for hours and on surfaces for days, according to a study done by scientists from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the US National Institutes of Health.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The study by Neeltje van Doremalen, et al. appeared in the New England Journal of Medicine<\/a><\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To mimic the virus deposited from an infected person onto everyday surfaces in a household or hospital setting, such as through coughing or touching objects, the scientists used a device to dispense an aerosol that duplicated the microscopic droplets created in a cough or a sneeze. The scientists then investigated how long the virus remained infectious on these surfaces.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Different surfaces showed different results of viability (i.e. whether Covid-19 can still infect people).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On aerosols, it remains viable for at least three hours.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On plastic and stainless steel, viable virus could be detected after three days. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

On cardboard, the virus was not viable after 24 hours. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

On copper, it took four hours for the virus to become inactivated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In terms of half-life, the research team found that it takes about 66 minutes for half the virus particles to lose function if they are in an aerosol droplet. This means that after another hour and six minutes, 3\/4 of the virus particles will be essentially inactivated but 25% will still be viable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The amount of viable virus at the end of the third hour will be down to 12.5%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On stainless steel, it takes 5 hours 38 minutes for half of the virus particles to become inactive. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

On plastic, the half-life is 6 hours 49 minutes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On cardboard, the half-life was about three and a half hours.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On copper, half the virus became inactivated within 46 minutes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

NOT THIS IS WORTH HIGHLIGHTING: <\/strong>The researchers said there was a lot of variability in these results \u201cso we advise caution\u201d interpreting the numbers.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

All the same, the findings affirm the guidance from public health professionals to use precautions<\/a> similar to other respiratory viruses to prevent the spread of Covid-19:<\/p>\n\n\n\n