New coronavirus stable for hours on surfaces

[wool_gather]

This isn't new information except that it's being highlighted directly by the NIH, instead of news orgs reporting on the preprint.

There also doesn't seem to be any attempt at reproduction so far. So, good information to have, but we can't take the numbers as literal and absolute -- more like a lower bound.

[creato]

It also isn't necessarily sufficient for the virus surviving on surfaces to be able to infect someone. If the virus needs to find its way into your lungs to infect you, and it is part of some surface matter that doesn't aerosolize easily, then the virus surviving on surfaces may not be able to actually infect people.

[koolba]

> The scientists found that severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) was detectable in aerosols for up to three hours, up to four hours on copper, up to 24 hours on cardboard and up to two to three days on plastic and stainless steel.

New rule is gonna be 48 hour quarantine for any packages.

[prostheticvamp]

Already has been in my house. At least one study has shown survival on steel and plastic at about a week.

Mist it with rubbing alcohol and stick it in a sunny corner for a few days.

[ardy42]

> New rule is gonna be 48 hour quarantine for any packages.

I just wipe them down with disinfecting wipes, then wash my hands after disposing the box.

[gautamnarula]

I've started wrapping shared touch surfaces (doorknobs, handles, etc) in my apartment with copper tape. It's pretty cheap ($12 for 66ft on Amazon). You do need to be careful about gripping the surfaces though, because the sharp edges in the copper foil can cause small cuts which would actually make you more susceptible to viral infection.

[hnarn]

> up to 24 hours on cardboard

What's concerning to me as a definite non-scientist is that cardboard is the only one of these materials that is porous and "rippable", would it be theoretically possible for the virus to go airborne if you rip up contaminated cardboard?

[et-al]

Interesting that the virus remains potent on plastic and stainless steel longer than cardboard. One would expect non-porous surfaces (e.g. steel) to be more "clean".

[forkexec]

That's probably not long enough unless you live someplace hot and dry like Kuwait. Previous viability studies have found it stable up to 9 days. Furthermore, low temperatures and high humidity greatly increase viability for additional days. Also, fomite materials such as stainless steel extend the viability of it further.

Given the lack of specific data, two week quarantine is the practice we're using at home. Unboxing things isn't as important as mitigating the threat of insufficiently-characterized, novel pathogens that our immune systems have basically no experience with.

[eyeball]

my process = hose the box down with lysol, let it dry. move into the basement, let it sit for 5 days, then open

[symplee]

There's a referenced journal article on the Coronavirus Wikipedia page [0] that says other coronaviruses can survive up to 9 days [1]. Can anyone corroborate?

[0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2019%E2%80%9320_coronavirus_pa...

[1] https://www.journalofhospitalinfection.com/article/S0195-670...

[hajile]

Government: cough into your elbow

Also Government: elbow bump instead of handshake

There seems to be a lot of contradicting stuff out there (and perhaps some "feel like you're doing something" stuff too). It'll take a lot of time before a consensus is actually reached.

[antsoul]

Your article [1] is more or less a review from what was known before Covid-19. It feels like a "worst case to expect".

OP's article is really about Covid-19, having been tested on some specific surfaces.

[rv-de]

In yesterday's update #15 on corona with Prof Christian Drosten [1] he is asked about this study and voices scepticism regarding its reliability.

They publish a transcript for every episode. For this one it isn't available yet. Otherwise I'd c/p the section.

1: https://www.ndr.de/nachrichten/info/15-Infizierte-werden-off...

[rv-de]

it was covered in episode #14:

https://www.ndr.de/nachrichten/info/coronaskript128.pdf

(page 2 of 5)

[bb2018]

Does anyone have a good explanation for the statistics of these types of data.

For instance, I've heard keep six feet away. However, I assume six feet is the distance where the chance of contracting is <0.1%, at five feet it is 1%, etc. etc. Nothing is black and white.

Is the chance of contracting it from a surface meaningful? Or simply the equivalent to "it is possible to catch it from someone 15 feet away even if extremely slim"

[crispinb]

I don't have stats or references, but I heard on a pretty reputable podcast a couple of days ago that physical contact appears to be the biggest single vector for SARS-CoV-2. Hence the huge emphasis on hand washing.

[Enginerrrd]

Six feet comes from the settling distance curves for droplets of different sizes. There may well be a hard cutoff where the probability is negligible under normal circumstances.

[davidw]

Yikes. Say you buy a box of cereal from the store... is there any good way to disinfect it, or just let it sit in the garage for a few days?

[RL_Quine]

We've just be quarantining packages. They get shoveled into the garage and sit there for at least 3 days before opening. Seems like a pretty small convenience hit to stay safe.

[3D22611099]

Yikes this is horrifying.

I'm currently quarantining a family member in my guest room, whom I don't know if they have a common cold or not. I'm wondering if just letting my ozone machine (5,000mg/hr) run after they're done in shared rooms, such as the bathroom etc. — unoccupied of course— would be enough to keep things sanitized.

This is all incredibly stressing.

[Leary]

If fever+cough, be very careful.

If runny nose, then more likely to be common cold.

One way to disinfect is put disinfectant/alcohol in a spray bottle and spray places where the virus is likely to be.

Another way is to put a simple mask on the sick person.

[dillonmckay]

Do you have a ducted A/C system?

[empath75]

Realistically, everyone in the house with an infected person is going to catch it. You’re breathing the same air if nothing else.

[haydn3]

Aren't most viruses stable for hours on surfaces?

[wila]

Ugh, this is the type of story that makes me want to run around with Purell or something similar and clean everything like Sheldon does.

What if I touch my keyboard with dirty hands... it's not like I never type?

Time to clean the mouse and keyboard ;)

[runawaybottle]

What about Purell gloves? Would that be possible? We’d all sort of be cleaning everything everywhere if it was possible (the disinfectant would have be to be kind of dry or dry quickly, while still letting you grip).

[sundvor]

... and smartphone.

[themantra514]

254NM UVC light lamps might be a good solution for packaging.

Make sure they are made by a reputable manufacturer, and that you get them from a reputable distributor that tests for proper maximum UVC efficiency.

[ericb]

I'm curious about the intensity and length of time needed to break down viruses with this light. Just wondering if there's some a possibility to use a "light bomb" to sanitize a room--set a light on a pole in the middle of the room. Leave the room and close the door, then trigger it for some length of time. Just an idle musing I had.

[johntash]

> Make sure they are made by a reputable manufacturer, and that you get them from a reputable distributor...

Any recommendations? I'm guessing Amazon isn't the place to find them right now since I'm not seeing much. Google found a few, but some have shady/low-effort websites.

[dillonmckay]

Also, be careful and wear sunglasses and long-sleeve clothing and pants.

You can easily burn your skin or eyes.

[Frost1x]

Curious, what's special about 254 nm? Is that a proven effective wavelength for killing bacteria/viruses for some reason?

Was wondering if places like Amazon considered adding UV lamps into the process to reduce contamination potential.

[swader999]

I've got that in my main furnace duct and with two portable air purifier/filter machines.

[themark]

"In the stability study the two viruses behaved similarly, which unfortunately fails to explain why COVID-19 has become a much larger outbreak."

I am hoping that the similarity extends to SARS v1's sensitivity to temperature.

[robodale]

I have a chlorine-based swimming pool. Should I live on my swimming pool?

(Yes, I'm being sarcastic from the amount of paranoid questions being asked here).

[serf]

>(Yes, I'm being sarcastic from the amount of paranoid questions being asked here).

to what purpose? to deride the cautious, or the panicked?

What's paranoid at this stage? There's a virus that spreads rapidly killing people around the world.

Do you have some guidelines for us un-informed to easily sift through the paranoia like you can?

(now THAT is sarcasm)

[mrfusion]

Someone should really rethink the gas pump handle in light of recent events.

Make it copper? Or how about a UV light shining on it when it’s hung up.

[kingpiss]

I hope I get it soon just to get it over with.

[eyeball]

would a few hours in the oven at 150 work to sanitize a package? (assuming the contents can tolerate that, and i don't burn down my house with the cardboard igniting)

[dillonmckay]

How much chlorine is required to kill it in water?

[outworlder]

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15847934

[laurex]

"Up to 24 hours on cardboard" - makes me wonder what the likelihood is of mail and package delivery being shut down soon?

[davidw]

Not likely, as it's a lot easier to do some basics like take a temp of your delivery people at the beginning/end of their shifts. And there's only one person, so you could do some contact tracing if you were some kind of modern country - unlike those unable to test hardly anyone.

So it seems a bit better than a free for all at the supermarket?

I just got the mail, with gloves, and left it in the garage. Same thing with an Amazon package yesterday.