Our phone screens are filthy and some studies have found that they might actually be dirtier compared to a toilet seat. In case this wasn’t enough to give you pause and wipe your screen down every chance you get, you might want to take note that according to research done by Australia’s national science agency, the coronavirus can actually last on your phone’s screen for as long as 28 days.
However, before you start worrying and panicking, it should be noted that this was done under lab conditions in the dark. This is because it has been proven in the past that the coronavirus can be killed using UV light, meaning that in the real world, the duration of which the virus could linger on your phone’s display may be shorter than that.
That being said, it should also be noted that the study found similar results on other types of surfaces including glass, plastic, steel, and paper like your banknotes. We suppose it might not necessarily be possible to sanitize your bank notes (unless you own a UV light device), which only stresses the importance of maintaining good hygiene by washing your hands thoroughly with soap and water.
It should also be noted that this isn’t the first time we’re hearing about how long the virus can stay alive on surfaces. Back in March, the CDC found that the virus stayed on the surface of several locations inside the Diamond Princess cruise ship for as long as 17 days, although this new study suggests it could actually survive for much longer than that.
Filed in . Read more about Coronavirus, Covid-19 and Health. Source: bbc