Phones

Covid-19 Can Survive Weeks On The Surface of Your Phone

By Andrei Ene

Posted on October 12, 2020

Photo by Paige Cody on Unsplash

A team of researchers found that the novel COVID-19 virus can survive weeks on your smartphone screen. Almost 28 days was the result of the study. That is 11 days more than the flu virus.

The team stressed that the COVID-19 virus can stay active on glass-like surfaces for a long time. Smartphones, metal surfaces, glass, and paper money, let the virus remain viable for over 20 days, up to 28 in fact, although the latter happens only in a controlled environment.

In contrast with the Coronavirus, the Influenza virus stays active for only 17 days, according to ANSA (Australia’s National Science Agency).

“These findings demonstrate SARS-CoV-2 can remain infectious for significantly longer time periods than generally considered possible,”
ANSA

The team called the virus extremely robust on some materials and surfaces, noting that cloth and other porous surfaces can carry the infectious virus for just half the time. Around 14 days, to be more exact.

The wording of this report is extremely important. The research team conducted the experiments in an enclosed environment under strict guidelines to better understand the SARS-CoV-2 virus. The synthetic tests managed in the ANSA are just indications of what the virus could do, and in what circumstances. For example, if you are in L.A., and it is a sunny day outside, the heat from the sun will be detrimental to the virus’ survival.

But in order to understand this novel virus, we need to test it in all conditions and watch how it behaves.

Perhaps the ANSA elected to conduct all the experiments on the Coronavirus at a constant 68°F temperature, in dark conditions in order to cancel the effects of UV light.

Also, to note, the team did not use fresh mucous which contains white cells and antibodies that are normally not present on smartphone surfaces (unless you sneezed on them).

According to the CDC, COVID-19 doesn’t usually spread from touching surfaces. But just to be sure, check out the new guidelines regarding the pandemic.