How Long Does SARS-CoV-2 (Coronavirus) Last on Surfaces

In the next “normal”, we’ll have fewer plastic and steel surfaces. That’s my prediction.

Coronavirus can live a long time, upwards of five days, on these smooth surfaces, but loses viability over one or two days when it’s landed on a cardboard or copper surface.

It’s been shown that wooden cutting boards can kill bacteria. Perhaps the same is true of viruses.

The twist on this is that wooden furniture probably behaves more like plastic than wood, because it’s all painted with plastic.

Copper is tricky, because it’s naturally toxic. It’s used in pools to kill viruses and algae. It’s also harmful to people, in large amounts. Despite this, we might see a rise of bare copper surfaces for door knobs, handles, and other surfaces.

References

How Long COVID-19 Coronavirus Stays on Surfaces

Aerosol and Surface Stability of SARS-CoV-2 as Compared with SARS-CoV-1

Cutting Boards of Plastic and Wood Contaminated Experimentally with Bacteria