Coronavirus can stay on face masks for up to a week, study finds

Pathogen that causes Covid-19 is gone within three hours from surfaces like printing and tissue paper, but can last for days on banknotes, stainless steel and plastic, researchers from University of Hong Kong say

But virus is no match for household disinfectants, bleach or frequent hand washing with soap and water

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The coronavirus can adhere to stainless steel services for up to seven days, according to a new study, but it can also be obliterated with a splash of disinfectant. Photo: Shutterstock

Published: 7:00am, 6 Apr 2020Updated: 9:26pm, 7 Apr 2020

The coronavirus that causes Covid-19 can adhere to stainless steel and plastic surfaces for up to four days, and to the outer layer of a face mask for a week, according to a study by researchers from the University of Hong Kong (HKU).

The team also found that common household disinfectants, including bleach, were effective in “killing” the virus.

The findings, published in a letter in medical journal The Lancet Microbe on Thursday, add to a growing body of research about the stability of Sars-CoV-2 – as the coronavirus is formally known – and what can be done to prevent its transmission.

“Sars-CoV-2 can be highly stable in a favourable environment, but it is also susceptible to standard disinfection methods,” said the researchers, who included, from HKU’s school of public health, Leo Poon Lit-man, head of the public health laboratory sciences division, and Malik Peiris, a clinical and public health virologist.

The researchers tested how long the virus could remain infectious at room temperature on various surfaces.