New coronavirus can stay on human skin for much longer than flu viruses, according to a new study by researchers in Japan.
SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19, remained in human skin samples with the potential to infect for about 9 hours, according to the study, while influenza A (IAV) virus had a high potential to infect about 2 hours .
Fortunately, both viruses on the skin were quickly destroyed with soap. The findings underscore the importance of hand washing or the use of disinfectants.
"This study shows that SARS-CoV-2 may have a higher risk of transmission through contacts [ie transmission by direct contact] than IAV because the former is much more stable in human skin [than the latter] "wrote the authors of the study, which was published in the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases. "These findings support the hypothesis that proper hand hygiene is important in preventing the spread of SARS-CoV-2."
The authors note that their study did not consider the "infectious dose" of SARS-CoV-2, i.e. the amount of virus particles needed to infect someone, so the next study will look at this question.
Burimet: Clinical Infectious Diseases, Live Science
