You'll Be Needing to Wash More Than Your Hands

The BBC has a very timely article on our new global virus and how it can be transmitted. Hint: public transit may not be a good idea.

There has been some discussion of 'contact' infection - getting the virus by touching a contaminated surface. I read that Covic-19 could survive on surfaces for up to 3 days. Apparently that was wishful thinking.

One aspect that has been unclear is exactly how long SARS-CoV-2, the name of the virus that causes the disease Covid-19, can survive outside the human body. Some studies on other coronaviruses, including Sars and Mers, found they can survive on metal, glass and plastic for as long as nine days, unless they are properly disinfected. Some can even hang around for up to 28 days in low temperatures. 

Coronaviruses are well known to be particularly resilient in terms of where they can survive. And researchers are now beginning to understand more about how this affects the spread of the new coronavirus.

It sounds like washrooms are a bit worrisome, even yours at home.

Like many respiratory viruses, including flu, Covid-19 can be spread in tiny droplets released from the nose and mouth of an infected person as they cough. A single cough can produce up to 3,000 droplets. These particles can land on other people, clothing and surfaces around them, but some of the smaller particles can remain in the air. There is also some evidence that the virus is also shed for longer in faecal matter, so anyone not washing their hands thoroughly after visiting the toilet could contaminate anything they touch.

This might be a perfect time to break that disgusting habit some are reported to have developed of taking their smart phones into the can to while away the sit down time and catch up with their friends.

A few other pointers. The virus can live an estimated three hours as droplets from coughing. On cardboard it's 24 hours.

The findings suggest the virus might last this long on door handles, plastic-coated or laminated worktops and other hard surfaces. The researchers did find, however, that copper surfaces tended to kill the virus in about four hours. 

But there is a speedier option: research has shown that coronaviruses can be inactivated within a minute by disinfecting surfaces with 62-71% alcohol, or 0.5% hydrogen peroxide bleach or household bleach containing 0.1% sodium hypochlorite. Higher temperatures and humidity also tend to result in other coronaviruses dying quicker, although research has shown that a related coronavirus that causes Sars could be killed by temperatures above 56°C or 132°F (hotter than even a bath scalding enough to cause injury) at a rate of about 10,000 viral particles every 15 minutes.

It sounds as though the fight against the virus doesn't stop at our front door. It may be time for a regime of disinfecting countertops, appliances and, absolutely, bathrooms at least every few days, more if you have many visitors.