Amidst of COVID-19, predicting and mitigating its spread has become the most important task of many medical professionals in order to protect people.
The study of Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) has contributed greatly to this effort because this study shows us how long SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19) can survive on different types of surfaces.
The study is based on the agency's previous COVID-19 work such as vaccine testing and wastewater testing.
It was conducted completely in the dark in order to remove the influence of ultraviolet (UV) light on the virus.
The research found that SARS-CoV-2 survived longer at lower temperatures. At 20 degrees Celsius, it can live up to 28 days on smooth surfaces such as glass (such as those found on mobile phone screens), stainless steel, and paper banknotes.
Meanwhile, at 30 and 40 degrees Celsius, the survival time of the virus decrease as the temperature rose.
The same experiment for Influenza A has discovered that it sustained on surfaces for 17 days, which highlights just how resilient SARS-CoV-2 is.
Hence, the public is encouraged to reinforce good practices such as proper handwashing and cleaning surfaces.
Source: Bernama
