Some sobering news. Informed thinking has, up to now, held that COVID-19 will survive, on various surfaces, two or three days at most. Thus, if one's workplace has had an exposure, you could send the employees home for several days and then safely let them return, with no disinfection needed.
That seems to have changed with a new study.
"The coronavirus that causes COVID-19 can survive on items such as banknotes and phones for up to 28 days in cool, dark conditions, according to a study by Australia's national science agency. Researchers at CSIRO's disease preparedness centre tested the longevity of SARS-CoV-2 in the dark at three temperatures, showing survival rates decreased as conditions became hotter, the agency said...
"At 86 degrees Fahrenheit, the survival rate dropped to seven days and plunged to just 24 hours at 104 degrees Fahrenheit."
Particularly, if an exposure has led to a short shutdown of the office, the closed office will tend to be dark, and perhaps cool. That's not necessarily indication that enough critters will remain alive on the surface to infect one, but who knows?
Sounds like we might be doing some more electrostatic COVID disinfection jobs.
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