COVID-19 Transmission Modes

A recent study analysed the ability of SARS CoV 2 to survive on various surfaces like cardboard, plastic, steel, etc.

On Cardboard Surfaces

The study comes amidst fears that the virus may be spread through food containers that get delivered to people and thus endangering people in quarantines. The study found that the virus disintegrates in a day on cardboard surfaces. This implies that there is low risk of infection unless an infected person had directly contaminated it. The use of disinfectant wipes on the cardboard packages and washing of hands are possible ways to tackle the issue.

On Plastic and Steel Surfaces

The study found that the virus can stay on plastic and steel surfaces the longest. They were found to be viable for up to 72 hours on such surfaces. However, the viability drops drastically during this time. The virus can survive only 4 hours on copper.

In Air

The study also looked at the virus’ ability to stay viable in air and spread through aerosol. In contrast to previous understanding, the virus can stay suspended in the air for half an hour and can travel through air. However, it is of low risk unless the person is physically near an infected person.