Coronavirus can live in air for 3 hours and on plastic for 3 days

Research published in the New England Journal of Medicine has revealed that the coronavirus can remain viable in aerosol particles for up to three hours. Additionally, the study found that the virus can survive on cardboard surfaces for up to one day and on plastic surfaces for up to three days. These findings emphasize the importance of maintaining clean surfaces, especially during the ongoing pandemic.

Experts from a consortium of US universities have noted that the virus’s behavior closely mirrors that of SARS, another coronavirus that emerged in China in 2002. They emphasized the significance of these findings in understanding how the virus can be transmitted, particularly in healthcare settings and crowded environments.

Wesley Baker, CEO of ANCON Medical, a specialist in early diagnosis and aerosol research, who was not part of the study, commented, “This research not only underscores the importance of thorough handwashing but also highlights the ease with which the virus can be transmitted from person to person through the air we breathe, particularly in enclosed spaces.”