Covid-19 virus survives on phone screens and bank notes for 28 days

The virus responsible for Covid-19 can remain infectious on surfaces such as banknotes, phone screens and stainless steel for 28 days, researchers say.

The findings from Australia's national science agency suggest SARS-Cov-2 can survive for far longer on surfaces than previously thought.

However, some experts have thrown doubt on the actual threat posed by surface transmission in real life.

The virus is most commonly transmitted when people cough, sneeze or talk.

Previous laboratory studies have found that SARS-Cov-2 can survive for two to three days on bank notes and glass, and up to six days on plastic and stainless steel, although results vary.

The latest research from Australian agency CSIRO found the virus was "extremely robust," surviving for 28 days on smooth surfaces such as glass found on mobile phone screens and both plastic and paper banknotes, when kept at 20C (68F), which is about room temperature.

In comparison, the flu virus can survive in the same circumstances for 17 days.

The experiments were carried out in the dark, as UV light has already been shown to kill the virus.

"Establishing how long the virus really remains viable on surfaces enables us to more accurately predict and mitigate its spread, and do a better job of protecting our people," said CSIRO chief executive Dr Larry Marshall.

However, Prof Ron Eccles, former director Common Cold Centre at Cardiff University, criticised the study and said the suggestion that the virus could survive for 28 days was causing "unnecessary fear in the public".

"Viruses are spread on surfaces from mucus in coughs and sneezes and dirty fingers and this study did not use fresh human mucus as a vehicle to spread the virus," Prof Eccles said.

Fresh mucus is a hostile environment for viruses as it contains lots of white cells that produce enzymes to destroy viruses and can also contain antibodies and other chemicals to neutralise viruses.

"In my opinion infectious viruses will only persist for hours in mucus on surfaces rather than days."

Last week Monica Gandhi, a professor of medicine at the University of California, said the coronavirus did not spread via surfaces.

"It's not through surfaces," she told Nautilus magazine.

"There was a lot of fear at the beginning of the pandemic about fomite transmission. We now know the root of the spread is not from touching surfaces and touching your eye. It's from being close to someone spewing virus from their nose and mouth, without in most cases knowing they are doing so."

The CSIRO study, published in Virology Journal, found the virus survived for less time at hotter temperatures; it stopped being infectious within 24 hours at 40C on some surfaces.

It also stayed longer on smooth, non-porous surfaces than on porous materials such as cloth, which was found not to carry any infectious virus past 14 days.

The study's authors said the ability of SARS-Cov-2 to persist on stainless steel at cooler temperatures could explain outbreaks of Covid-19 at meat processing and cold storage facilities.

Thousands of workers have tested positive at meat processing factories and abattoirs around the world.

Other reasons previously suggested include close working conditions, cold and damp environments and the need to shout over noisy machinery.

The CSIRO researchers also say their findings support previous research suggesting the virus can survive on fresh and frozen food.

The World Health Organization says: "There is currently no confirmed case of Covid-19 transmitted through food or food packaging." But it does list a number of precautions you can take to avoid cross-contamination.

(Source: BBC)