How long can coronaviruses remain on contaminated surfaces, according to science

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Coronavirus: China burns and disinfects 2:00 bills

(CNN) - Concerns about how long the new coronavirus can survive on surfaces are on the rise, so much so that the central bank of China has taken steps to thoroughly clean and destroy its cash, which changes hands several times a day, in an effort to contain the virus.

It is unknown exactly how long the new coronavirus can remain on contaminated surfaces and objects with the potential to infect people, but some researchers are finding clues by studying the elusive behaviors of other coronaviruses.

Coronaviruses are a large group of viruses common among animals. In rare cases, they are what scientists call zoonotic, which means they can be transmitted from animals to humans, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. UU. (CDC).

Officials do not know which animal may have caused the current outbreak of new coronaviruses in Wuhan, China. But previously, studies have suggested that people became infected with the MERS coronavirus, or Middle Eastern Respiratory Syndrome, after coming into contact with camels, and scientists suspected that civet cats were to blame for SARS, Acute Respiratory Syndrome Severe.

It has been discovered that these human coronaviruses, such as SARS and MERS, persist on inanimate surfaces, including those made of metal, glass or plastic, for a period of up to nine days if that surface has not been disinfected, according to research published in earlier this month in The Journal of Hospital Infection.

Cleaning with common household products can make a difference, according to research, which also found that human coronaviruses “can be deactivated efficiently by surface disinfection procedures with 62-71% ethanol, 0.5 hydrogen peroxide % or 0.1% sodium hypochlorite ”or bleach within one minute

The new research involved the analysis of 22 previously published studies on coronavirus, which researchers hope can help provide information about the new coronavirus.

“According to the data currently available, I would rely mainly on the data of the SARS coronavirus, which is the closest relative to the new coronavirus, with a sequence similarity of 80%, among the coronaviruses tested. For the SARS coronavirus, the range of surface persistence was less than five minutes to nine days, ”said Dr. Charles Chiu, professor of infectious diseases at the University of California, San Francisco, and director of the Center for USCF-Abbott Viral Diagnosis and Discovery, which was not involved in the new study.

"However, it is very difficult to extrapolate these findings to the new coronavirus due to the different strains, viral concentrations and environmental conditions that were tested in the various studies and the lack of data on the new coronavirus," he said. "More research is needed with cultures of the new coronavirus to establish the duration of surface survival."

The CDC has pointed out that coronaviruses are believed to spread more frequently by breathing secretions, such as droplets when coughing or sneezing, and coronaviruses in general have "poor survivability" on surfaces, but there is still much to Learn about the new coronavirus, officially called COVID-19.

“It is possible that a person can contract COVID-19 by touching a surface or object that has the virus and then touching their mouth, nose or possibly eyes, but it is not believed that this is the main way in which the virus is propagate, ”according to the CDC website.

While there are some similarities between other coronaviruses and the new one, some differences also arise.

"It also seems that COVID-19 is not as deadly as other coronaviruses, including SARS and MERS," said Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director general of the World Health Organization, during a press conference on Monday.

“More than 80% of patients have a mild illness and will recover. In approximately 14% of cases, the virus causes serious diseases, such as pneumonia and shortness of breath. And approximately 5% of patients suffer from critical illnesses, such as respiratory failure, septic shock and multiorgan failure, ”he said. “In 2% of reported cases, the virus is fatal and the risk of death increases as it ages. We see relatively few cases among children. More research is needed to understand why. ”

While the new coronavirus mortality rate is lower than for SARS and MERS, it still seems to be comparable to the Spanish flu pandemic of 1918, said Neil Ferguson, a professor of mathematical biology at Imperial College London in January.

"It is a major concern worldwide," Ferguson said, noting that we still do not fully understand gravity.

Ferguson said he believes the death rate is likely to be lower due to an iceberg of milder cases that have not yet been identified, but stresses that new viruses spread much faster through a population.

"Stay informed, but don't panic," Chiu said.

If you have concerns, “my recommendations would be to wash your hands frequently, avoid contact with sick people, follow the quarantine recommendations at home according to the latest guidelines of the public health agency if you recently traveled from China or were in contact with a known or suspected infected patient, ”he said.

But in general, "it is still much more likely to get influenza instead of this new coronavirus, which means you should also get a flu shot."

According to the CDC, the flu virus can live on some surfaces for up to 48 hours and potentially infect someone if the surface has not been cleaned and disinfected.

Jen Christensen and Meera Senthilingam of CNN contributed to this report.

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