American expert： How long can Covid-19 live on common goods？

　　During the epidemic, many people put on masks and gloves in order to ensure that they are "invulnerable". Press the elevator button at ordinary times, touch the door handle that is scary and common, and polish it with disinfectant every day. Many people can’t help asking, how long can Covid-19 survive on these common items?

　　A few days ago, a joint team of top international scientific research institutions, such as National Institutes of Health, National Center for Immune and Respiratory Diseases, Princeton University and UCLA, published a pre-printed article in Medrxiv, specifically studying Covid-19’s viability on aerosol and material surfaces.

　　The experimental results show that under normal air humidity and temperature conditions, Covid-19 can survive for at least 4 hours on copper surface, 24 hours on cardboard, and 72 hours on polypropylene plastic and stainless steel surface. Covid-19 can also survive for more than 3 hours in an aerosol environment with higher humidity.

　　As a contrast, the article also studies the "vitality" of SARS virus. The results showed that SARS virus could survive for 8 hours on copper surface and cardboard surface, 48 hours on stainless steel surface and 72 hours on polypropylene plastic surface. In aerosol, SARS virus can survive for more than 3 hours.

　　In addition, by comparing the "half-lives" of the two viruses on the surfaces of different materials and aerosols, it is found that the half-lives of Covid-19 on cardboard are obviously longer than that of SARS virus, and the other half-lives are similar.

　　Therefore, the article thinks that the stability of Covid-19 and SARS virus in different environments is very similar. It is unlikely that Covid-19’s stronger spread comes from its stronger viability in the environment, but there are other potential factors.