sybob wrote:
SeattleGo wrote:
And no, for this particular species of coronavirus, I don't think detailed testing has been done for different surfaces.
Apparently, the U.S. CDC just released an article about this specific virus lasting on different surfaces (wood, metal, carton).
Haven't read it myself though.
I just read a New York Times article about a study that appeared yesterday in the New England Journal of Medicine. Apparently this virus can survive for three days on steel and stainless steel (contrary to what I said above) and plastic. On cardboard, 24 hours. On copper, only 4 hours.
Most troubling is that it seems likely that it can be transmitted by aerosol, and remain suspended in the air for about 30 minutes. But the "virus does not linger in the air at high enough levels to be a risk to most people who are not physically near an infected person". Which gives some rationale to the 6 feet / 2 meters distance requirements. Still, it's a real concern for health care workers.
Editing to add this from the
Chemical and Engineering News from March 13, 2020.
- Soap, detergent, bleach, alcohol, and probably ammonia products should deactivate the novel coronavirus, based on their efficacy against similar viruses.
- The EPA regulates antimicrobial products (as pesticides), and has an "emerging viral pathogen" program that gives manufacturers an expedited way to claim their products work against the novel coronavirus -- though such information probably won't appear on labels, but rather on websites etc.
- It's important to follow the directions on the label, which often say to leave the surface wet for ten minutes. Many people wipe it off too soon, leaving the surface looking clean but not actually disinfected.
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