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(courtesy of Cleveland Clinic)

COVID-19 survival times by surface

Research demonstrates that the virus’s survival depends, in part, on the type of surface it lands on. The live virus can survive anywhere from a couple of hours to a couple of days.

Hard, non-porous surfaces, like windows, railings, doorknobs and the like are likely to keep the virus living longer. On the other hand, COVID-19 and other viruses are less likely to last on softer materials that have teeny holes, like paper, cardboard or fabric.

“The COVID-19 virus typically doesn’t like to live on surfaces that have a lot of holes or microscopic little grooves, nooks or crannies,” Dr. Esper explains. “It likes surfaces that are very smooth, like doorknobs.”

What’s more, how long COVID-19 and other viruses last on surfaces can change depending on factors like the cleanliness of the surface, temperature, humidity and sunlight. Viruses tend to live longer in warm, moist environments and die off quicker when it’s cool and dry.

Here’s how long the virus typically lasts on some common surfaces:

• Glass: 5 days.
• Wood: 4 days.
• Plastic: 3 days.
• Stainless-steel: 3 days.
• Cardboard: 1 day.
• Copper surfaces: 4 hours.

It’s important to know, though that there’s a difference between a virus “lasting” on a surface and a virus “lasting-to-the-point-that-they-can-make-you-sick.”

“We may be able to find some viable virus after a few days, but it’s thousands of times less than what was originally deposited,” Dr. Esper points out. “As soon as the virus hits something that’s not alive and certainly not a human, it’s not going to do very well.”

So, just because the virus is detectable on a surface doesn’t necessarily mean that there’s enough there to infect you. Remember that viruses start to die when they’re not in the body, so the amount of live virus decreases over time on surfaces.

Even if COVID-19 may be seen under a microscope on something like glass for five days, the risk of getting infected from touching that glass after a few days (or even a few hours) would be lower.

Should you worry about COVID-19 on surfaces?

The short shelf-life of COVID-19 on surfaces doesn’t mean you’re entirely in the clear.

Think about those buttons on the elevator. Maybe you don’t have to worry about catching germs from the person who rode in it three days ago. But you don’t know who was on that elevator just before you or where they may have sneezed. Their germs can still infect you.

And if you live with other people, you know you share a lot of surfaces in your home with them. If one person coughs in the bathroom and then opens the door, you know it won’t be long before you need to touch that same doorknob and could potentially catch their germs.

So, yes, cleaning, sanitizing and taking care not to needlessly touch public surfaces is still important to staying healthy. So is keeping up with your COVID-19 vaccines, washing your hands properly and following other steps to stop virus transmission.