How Long the COVID Virus Can Live on Surfaces

[vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” column_margin=”default” column_direction=”default” column_direction_tablet=”default” column_direction_phone=”default” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” row_border_radius=”none” row_border_radius_applies=”bg” overlay_strength=”0.3″ gradient_direction=”left_to_right” shape_divider_position=”bottom” bg_image_animation=”none”][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_tablet=”inherit” column_padding_phone=”inherit” column_padding_position=”all” column_element_spacing=”default” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” column_link_target=”_self” gradient_direction=”left_to_right” overlay_strength=”0.3″ width=”1/1″ tablet_width_inherit=”default” tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” bg_image_animation=”none” border_type=”simple” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid”][vc_column_text]One of the many important things to know about the particular strain of coronavirus which is the etiological agent of the current pandemic is the length of time the virus can remain infectious when it is in the environment. This exceptionally well written and documented letter was published in the New England journal of Medicine which gives some pretty clear answers which everyone should know.

Unfortunately, on relatively inert surfaces such as plastics and stainless steel the virus is sufficiently robust to have a half-life such that it probably is infectious up to 72 hours after deposition. Copper surfaces are more active, and the viability seems to be about 4 hours. What is most concerning (at least to me) is that apparently the virus can remain viable in aerosol droplets for up to 3 hours.

This is why healthcare workers who may be exposed to infected (and infectious) individuals should seriously consider respiratory protection.

We at AccuTec-IHS want to once again stress the fact that merely wearing a respirator (such as disposable N95’s, N99’s or N100’s) isn’t enough. The respirator must have been properly fit-tested. A quantitative fit test such as the fit test performed by the AccuFIT 9000® can truly prove that the mask fits and that the person wearing it knows how to deploy it properly.

We at Accutec-IHS are monitoring the situation constantly, and are doing all we can to keep up with demand.

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