The virus that causes COVID-19 can survive on some surfaces, such as phone screens and bank notes, for as long as 28 days, according to a new study from Australian scientists. There are some caveats to the findings—all the experiments were done in the dark, so the virus is unlikely to survive that long in the real world, and the virus was suspended in an artificial mucus that could also have helped its longevity. However, it does seem that the coronavirus is more durable than, for example, the Influenza A virus, which has been found to survive on surfaces for just 17 days. It also seems the virus survives longer at colder temperatures, which could be important heading into winter. “It really reinforces the importance of washing hands and sanitizing where possible and certainly wiping down surfaces that may be in contact with the virus,” said researcher Shane Riddell.
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