![]() ![]() In May, the CDC updated its guidance to say that Covid-19 spreads "very easily" from person to person through contaminated droplets produced by others as they talk, cough, sneeze and breath.Įven so, the CDC, the World Health Organization and others health authorities, have emphasised that both washing one's hands, along with cleaning and disinfecting frequently touched surfaces daily are key in preventing Covid-19's spread. It is worth noting that, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), touching a surface or object contaminated with the virus and then touching one's own face "is not thought to be the main way the virus spreads". Although they used a virus that infects plants rather than humans as a surregate for Sars-CoV-2, it shows just how far a virus in a droplet of liquid that lands on a bed can spread by people touching surfaces. One study published by researchers at Imperial College London showed that viral DNA left on a hospital bed rail in an isolation room had spread within ten hours to 18 other surfaces, including door handles, chairs in a waiting room, children's toys and books in a play area. There is also some evidence that the virus is also shed for longer in faecal matter, so anyone not washing their hands thoroughly after visiting the toilet could contaminate anything they touch. These particles can land on other people, clothing and surfaces around them, but some of the smaller particles can remain in the air. A single cough can produce up to 3,000 droplets. Like many respiratory viruses, including flu, Covid-19 is mainly spread in tiny droplets released from the nose and mouth of an infected person as they cough. In some cities, well-meaning volunteers even venture out at night to scrub the keypads of cash machines. Cleaning regimes in offices, hospitals, shops and restaurants have been increased. In the areas worst hit by the new coronavirus, teams of workers in protective clothing have been dispatched to spray a fog of disinfectant in plazas, parks and public streets. There are now some familiar scenes in public places around the world – people trying to open doors with their elbows, commuters studiously surfing their way through train journeys to avoid grabbing a handle, office workers rubbing down their desks each morning. As Covid-19 has spread, so has our fear of surfaces.
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