The coronavirus can live on touchscreens and some money for as long as 28 weeks

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According to a report from the Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness, the coronavirus can persist on plastic banknotes and glass for as long as 28 days at room temperature (20°C). Simultaneously, the virus’s survival rate at 104 degrees Fahrenheit drops to less than 24 hours on some surfaces.

The findings only reinforce the previous assumptions that the coronavirus thrives more in colder weather, which means it is more difficult to control it during winter than summer months. The scientists said that this information could be used to predict the pandemic spread during the upcoming winter months. Debbie Eagles, a deputy director at the Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness, highlighted the necessity for regular surface cleaning and hand washing.

The coronavirus is mainly spread via speaking, sneezing, coughing, and even breathing. However, infected surfaces also contribute to its spread. At the moment, there isn’t too much data on how extensively the coronavirus can spread via the infected surfaces.

Another revelation made by Australian scientists is that the coronavirus tends to survive longer on smooth or nonporous surfaces. The entire study was conducted in the dark so that the virus is away from ultraviolet light. That’s because direct sunlight can swiftly degrade the coronavirus.

The finding that the coronavirus may persist on glass is of significant meaning. That’s because smartphones, tablets, ATMs, self-serve checkouts, airport check-in kiosks and more are touch surfaces. Thousands of people touch them daily, and authorities don’t clean these surfaces regularly. That makes those surfaces a huge transmission risk of COVID-19 at least until COVID rapid test kit is readily available.

Scientists are equally concerned about the persistence of the coronavirus on some banknotes and the risk of transmission

Since the pandemic started, both South Korea and China quarantined banknotes to stop another source of spread.

The coronavirus can also persist for long periods on stainless steel at cooler temperatures. This is the reason behind many coronavirus outbreaks in several cold storage and meat processing facilities. The report’s data is also in line with the idea that the coronavirus can persist for long periods on both frozen and fresh food also.

It is unclear how governments and medical authorities will react to these findings and which safety measures and protocols they will recommend to stop the coronavirus spread in the winter months. Only one thing is certain: governments and countries will do pretty much anything to avoid another lockdown.

What do you think? Surprised about these findings? Let us know down below in the comments or carry the discussion over to our Twitter or Facebook.

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Deep Ballu