Research: Corona virus can Survive up to 7 Days on Surgical Masks

The use of face masks to protect against the new Novel Corona virus is becoming widespread, resulting in shortages in various countries.

The virus affects the respiratory system and spreads to the particles in the air that are released from the cough or sneeze of an infected person, which falls into the nose or mouth of a nearby human while breathing.
But someone is at risk of being infected even when they touch the surface of something that contains these viral particles and then touch their mouth, nose or eyes. The life span of a virus depends on a number of factors, such as temperature, humidity and surface type.

It has now been revealed that the virus can survive for up to a week on surgical face masks. According to research published in The Lancet, the virus can last up to 7 days on stainless steel, plastic and surgical masks. During this research, the scientists determined the life of the virus in a room with a temperature of 21 degrees Celsius, where humidity was 65 percent.

Researchers discovered that the virus disappeared from tissue paper and paper 3 hours later, while the duration was 2 days in wood and clothing. The virus remained on glass and currency notes for up to 4 days while stainless steel and plastic were detected for 7 days.

Researchers said that all the substances included in the study, the longest time span was recorded on the outer part of the surgical mask. During a week-long study, the virus was still present on the outer part of the mask.
Earlier, research published in New England Journal of Medicine on March 17 reported that the virus could survive up to 4 hours on copper, one day on cardboard, and 3 days on plastic and stainless steel. In this study, the items were kept in a room with a temperature of 21 ° C where the moisture content was 40%.

And yes since smartphones are made of glass and aluminum, they can also contain viral particles and cleaning them is essential if you take them to the toilet. This new study finds that there is a correlation between the virus’s life span and the surrounding temperature.

At 4 ° C, the virus can survive for up to 2 weeks on a test tube, but when the temperature reaches 37 ° C, the duration lasts one day. This is because some corona viruses, including this new corona virus, have a viral envelope, a layer of fat that protects the viral particles that travel through the air from one person to another.

This layer is dried at a higher temperature, more humid than that, moderate temperatures, low air and solid surfaces all contribute to the survival of any corona virus. Researchers say that bleach, commonly used in homes, can kill viruses at room temperature in 5 minutes, while soap can take 15 minutes.

That is why the World Health Organization recommends excessive washing of hands and not touching the face to protect against any level of virus.

Also Read: Report: Corona virus Deaths are lower than Expected