With the spread of the coronavirus, there are some concerns that some are having regarding the lifespan of the virus on surfaces. This is because who’s to say that the package you ordered online won’t have the virus on the surface of the package? Or what about the containers that your takeaway meals are stored in?
Previously it was suggested that the virus could survive for anywhere between hours or days, depending on the type of surface it is left on, but now according to new data published by the CDC, it appears that the coronavirus could have a much longer lifespan than we had previously thought.
According to the CDC, they have found that the coronavirus could potentially survive on surfaces for as long as 17 days, if not longer. This is based on what they had found on the Diamond Princess cruise ship, where a bunch of passengers were initially quarantined before they were allowed off.
The study showed that even after passengers had left the ship, the virus continued to remain on surfaces well after what was previously thought to be the lifespan of the virus. Researchers had previously estimated that the virus could last as long as 3 days on surfaces made from steel or plastic, although the amount would decrease over time.
So what does this mean for us? Basically this means that we probably shouldn’t assume that our packages are clean, and that maybe giving them a wipe down might be a good idea, along with thoroughly washing our hands after handling them.
Filed in . Read more about Coronavirus, Covid-19, Health, Science and Social Hit. Source: cnbc