Therapy Areas: Infectious Diseases
Australian study finds that COVID-19 virus can stay 28 days on glass and currency
12 October 2020 -

Australian researchers at CSIRO, Australia's national science agency, have said that the virus that causes COVID-19 can survive on banknotes, glass and stainless steel for up to 28 days, much longer than the flu virus, Reuters news agency reported on Monday.

This study high lights the need for cleaning and handwashing to combat the virus.

Reportedly, findings from the study, which were published in Virology Journal, appear to show that in a very controlled environment the virus remained infectious for longer than other studies have found.

CSIRO researchers found that at 20 degrees Celsius the SARS-COV-2 virus remained infectious for 28 days on smooth surfaces such as plastic banknotes and glass found on mobile phone screens.

In comparison, Influenza A virus has been found to survive on surfaces for 17 days.

The study's lead researcher, Shane Riddell told Reuters: "It really reinforces the importance of washing hands and sanitising where possible and certainly wiping down surfaces that may be in contact with the virus."

"So heading into summer that's certainly going to be an important factor that the virus won't last as long in the warmer temperatures," Riddell added, referring to the upcoming southern hemisphere summer.

All the experiments were done in the dark to remove the impact of ultraviolet light, as research has shown direct sunlight can kill the virus.

Also, the researchers said given that proteins and fats in body fluids can also sharply increase virus survival times, their study may help explain the apparent persistence and spread of the virus in cool environments like meat-packing facilities.

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