Alliance for Pandemic Preparedness
February 10, 2020
Persistence of coronaviruses on inanimate surfaces and its inactivation with biocidal agents
Category: Article Summary
Topic: Clinical Characteristics and Health Care Setting
- Authors conducted a literature review to determine the ability of coronaviruses to persist on inanimate objects, with potential applications for the current 2019-nCoV outbreak. Both SARS and MERS coronaviruses can persist on inanimate surfaces (fomites) for up to 9 days. They can be inactivated effectively by disinfection procedures with 62-71% ethanol, 0.5% hydrogen peroxide, or 0.1% sodium hypochlorite within one minute.
Kampf et al. (Feb 6, 2020). Persistence of coronaviruses on inanimate surfaces and its inactivation with biocidal agents. J of Hosp Infect. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhin.2020.01.022