SARS-CoV-2 Lingers in Air, Endures on Plastic, Steel
A new study reports that coronavirus remains viable in aerosol for up to 3 hours, a finding that could help inform theories of contagion.
New data on the stability of SARS-CoV-2, which causes COVID-19, show that the virus can remain viable in aerosols for as long as 3 hours and on some surfaces for as long as 3 days. In a series of environmental simulations comparing viability of SARS-CoV-2 with predecessor SARS-CoV-1, NIH researchers found that the 2 viruses behaved similarly in most of the situations.SARS-CoV-1 infected more than 8,000 people globally in 2002 and 2003. According to the most recent update from WHO, there are now 179 111 confirmed cases of COVID-19 infection worldwide. If the durability profiles are similar, what explains why the current outbreak is so much larger?Click through this brief slide show that highlights the study results as well as the authors' thoughts at the end.
