Researchers at Australia's national science agency, CSIRO, found evidence that the virus that causes COVID-19 can survive on common surfaces for up to 28 days, according to Technology Networks.
CSIRO researchers examined SARS-CoV-2 — the virus that causes COVID-19 — at the Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness. The study results were published Oct. 12 in Virology Journal.
Four key takeaways:
1. SARS-CoV-2 survived longer at lower temperatures. At room temperature, it was able to survive for 28 days on certain surfaces.
2. The virus tended to survive longer on smooth surfaces such as glass, stainless steel and vinyl than it did on porous complex surfaces such as cotton.
3. Similar experiments on Influenza A — the type of influenza viruses known to cause flu pandemics — found it survived on surfaces for 17 days.
4. The findings shine new light on the resilience of SARS-CoV-2 and reinforce the need for regular handwashing and surface sterilization, researchers said.
