According to a recent study published on the official website of Oxford University Press, the novel coronavirus survives nine hours on human skin.
For the study, the researchers evaluated the stability of SARS-CoV-2 and influenza A virus (IAV) on human skin surfaces and the dermal disinfection effectiveness of 80 per cent ethanol against SARS-CoV-2 and IAV.
The researchers found that SARS-CoV-2 and IAV were inactivated more rapidly on skin surfaces than on other surfaces (stainless steel/glass/plastic).
However, the survival time was significantly longer for SARS-CoV-2 than for IAV.
The study also revealed that both SARS-CoV-2 and IAV on human skin were completely inactivated within 15 seconds by ethanol treatment.
The researchers concluded that the nine-hour survival of SARS-CoV-2 on human skin may increase the risk of contact transmission in comparison with IAV. This will further accelerate the pandemic.
Proper hand hygiene is important to prevent the spread of SARS-CoV-2 infections, researchers recommended.