Coronavirus survives on surfaces for hours, turning into a pancake-like film

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Coronavirus can remain infectious on surfaces for DAYS by turning into a microscopic pancake-like film, study finds

  • More than 99.9% of the liquid in coronavirus droplets evaporates within minutes
  • But the virus survives because the dried droplet turns into a pancake-like film
  • It sticks to a surface for hours and can remain contagious if touched
  • Scientists recommend cleaning surfaces regularly to ensure there is no resident Covid

By Joe Pinkstone For Mailonline

Posted: | Update:

Particles containing the coronavirus that land on a surface remain infectious for several days by turning into a microscopic pancake-like film after the water in the droplet evaporates.

This conversion sees more than 99.9% of the liquid in the droplet disappear within a few minutes, but the virus survives in a protective film of the remaining liquid.

Tiny forces keep the film, which is only a few nanometers thick, sticking to a surface and slowing the evaporation process.

The film evaporates completely at different times, depending on the material it landed on, with a large droplet on stainless steel and copper for only 24 and 16 hours, respectively.

But it can survive over 150 hours on polypropylene. A small droplet, barely a tenth its size, lasts over 80 hours on glass.

These numbers are based on experiments conducted under laboratory conditions, and are likely lower in the real world where there are varying amounts of heat and airflow – factors that stimulate evaporation.

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The film (bottom) covers the same amount of areas as the droplet (top), with the same radius and initial slope angle. The only measurement that changes is its vertical height

The film (bottom) covers the same amount of areas as the droplet (top), with the same radius and initial slope angle. The only measurement that changes is its vertical height

Rajneesh Bhardwaj and Amit Agrawal, professors at IIT Bombay, specialize in using computer modeling and physics to understand how coronavirus droplets can spread disease.

They have already found that wearing a face mask reduces the size of clouds of infectious coronavirus particles created by a cough by up to 23 times.

Particles containing the coronavirus from sneezes and coughs that land on a surface remain infectious for several hours as the water in the droplet evaporates and turns from a sphere into a microscopic pancake-shaped film (stock)

Particles containing the coronavirus from sneezing and coughing that land on a surface remain infectious for several hours as the water in the droplet evaporates and turns from a sphere into a microscopic pancake-shaped film (stock)

Phone screens should be cleaned regularly to protect against the coronavirus

Smartphone users should make a concerted effort to regularly clean their screens to protect themselves from COVID-19, a new study warns.

In addition to phone screens, cotton and wood are materials that can provide a safe haven for the virus and should also be thoroughly cleaned, scientists insist.

These materials are at high risk, scientists say, because contagious droplets containing the coronavirus do not quickly evaporate from these surfaces.

Glass and stainless steel are both hydrophilic, which means they attract water. This causes the water to disperse over the surface, promoting evaporation.

In film form, the coronavirus can last for hours, or even days, on hydrophobic surfaces if left undisturbed.

The film covers the same amount of areas as the droplet, with the same radius and the same initial tilt angle. The only measurement that changes is its vertical height.

Data from the study, published in Physics of Fluids, showed that the film thickness slowly decreases until and throughout this time the amount of coronavirus in the droplet / film is consistent.

“Our biggest surprise was that the drying time for this nanoscale film is on the order of a few hours,” Bhardwaj said.

“ This suggests that the surface is not completely dry and that the slowly evaporating nanoscale film provides the medium necessary for the coronavirus to survive. ”

The researchers say their results indicate that the virus can survive in a viable form for a long time and have stressed the need for regular and thorough cleaning of surfaces.

“It is desirable to disinfect frequently touched surfaces, such as doorknobs or portable devices, and in hospitals and other areas prone to epidemics,” Agrawal said.

“We also recommend heating the surfaces, because even short-lived high temperatures, where the surface is at a higher temperature than room temperature, can help evaporate the nanoscale film and destroy the virus.



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