How long does coronavirus survive on surfaces?

Anyone can contract the coronavirus by touching surfaces contaminated with the droplets. Like many respiratory disease infections, coronavirus is mainly spread primarily through tiny droplets of saliva or discharge released from either the nose and mouth of an infected person as they breathe, cough, sneeze, or talk.

Studies have shown that a single cough can produce up to 3,000 droplets. These droplets can travel, land on and adhere to surfaces around them e.g. people, clothing, porous and non-porous surfaces but some smaller particles can remain in the air. On certain surfaces and depending on the material, coronavirus can last anywhere from several hours to days as shown in the table below so anyone not washing their hands thoroughly could contaminate anything they touch.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) advises that the best way to prevent and slow down transmission is to be well informed about the coronavirus, the disease it causes, how it spreads, practicing basic good hygiene, and making your environment safer.

Practicing good hygiene to prevent the spread of coronavirus requires that you:

1. Regularly and thoroughly clean your hands with an alcohol-based hand sanitiser or wash them with soap and water so as to eliminate germs that may be on your hands.
2. Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth. Hands touch many surfaces and can pick up viruses. Hands contaminated can transfer the virus to your eyes, nose, or mouth. From there, the virus can enter your body to cause infection.
3. Cover your mouth and nose with your bent elbow or tissue when you cough or sneeze. Dispose of the used tissue immediately into a closed bin and wash your hands.
4. Clean and disinfect surfaces frequently especially those which are regularly touched, such as door handles, faucets, keyboards, desks, handrails, phone screens, etc.

Remember by following good respiratory hygiene, you help protect everyone including your loved one and the people around you from getting infected with viruses, which cause colds, flu, and coronavirus disease.

Making your environment safer requires that you:

1. Avoid spaces that are closed, crowded, or involve close contact as the risks of getting coronavirus disease are higher in crowded and inadequately ventilated spaces where infected people spend long periods of time together in close proximity. These environments are where the virus appears to spread by respiratory droplets or aerosols more efficiently, so taking precautions is even more important.
2. Meet people outside as outdoor gatherings are safer than indoor ones, particularly if indoor spaces are small and without outdoor air coming in.
3. Avoid crowded or indoor settings but if you can’t, then take precautions to open a window to increase the amount of natural ventilation when indoors.
4. Wear a mask