On March 11, 2020 a preprint letter to the Editor of JAMA was release titled “Aerosol and surface stability of HCoV-19 (SARS-CoV-6 2) compared to SARS-CoV-1“. Attempting to answer the question of how long can the new coronavirus linger on surfaces. The analysis found that “the virus can remain viable in the air for up to 3 hours, on copper for up to 4 hours, on cardboard up to 24 hours and on plastic and stainless steel up to 72 hours.” 6 days later the article had passed peer review and on March 17 was published in the NEJM. [1]
Transmission of the virus from surface contamination could not be determined, but a cleaning frenzy hit the world with many people disinfecting everything from groceries to all surfaces in their homes.
On March 6, 2020 the CDC released their interim recommendation on “Cleaning and Disinfection for Households“. “…Current evidence suggests that SARS-CoV-2 may remain viable for hours to days on surfaces made from a variety of materials. Cleaning of visibly dirty surfaces followed by disinfection is a best practice measure for prevention of COVID-19 and other viral respiratory illnesses in households and community settings.”
- “It is unknown how long the air inside a room occupied by someone with confirmed COVID-19 remains potentially infectious. “