Mar 26, 2020 12:00:00

Is it possible to get the new coronavirus from the surface of mail or smartphones?

As the outbreak of the new coronavirus infection (COVID-19) spreads worldwide, `` The new coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) attached to the surface of mail, courier parcels, smartphones, etc. Is there a possibility that they will be lost? ' Euan Tovey, an associate professor at the University of Sydney, explains this question.

Can I get coronavirus from mail or package deliveries? Should I disinfect my phone?
https://theconversation.com/can-i-get-coronavirus-from-mail-or-package-deliveries-should-i-disinfect-my-phone-134535

Since the outbreak of the new coronavirus infection, in Australia's Google search, search words such as `` how to disinfect the phone '' and `` how to clean the phone '' have been ranked high, and `` Is the mail infected by the new coronavirus It is said that search in the form of a question such as '?' As many people fear the transmission of the new coronavirus via mail and mobile phones, Tovey said, 'To understand and mitigate the risks, how can mobile and mail contact the virus? It is useful to think about how long the virus will survive on the surface of various objects. '

At the time of writing, Tovey points out that it is not completely clear how viable the new coronavirus is on the surface of objects. However, a

paper published in the peer-reviewed journal New England Journal of Medicine on March 17, 2020 reported that `` new coronavirus is more stable on plastic and stainless steel surfaces than copper and cardboard '' Was.

According to the research team, a virus that survived up to 72 hours after the new coronavirus was applied to the surface of plastic or stainless steel was detected. On the other hand, no live virus was detected on the copper surface 4 hours after application, and no live virus was detected on the cardboard surface after 24 hours. The long-term survival of the new coronavirus on plastic surfaces may indicate that the virus has been on the surface of mobile phones for several days.

Mr Tovey noted that these results may have reduced survival time to some extent when the new coronavirus was brought into the laboratory, and thought that the survival time may have been underestimated. I am. 'Remember that this is a new virus, and we have not yet obtained all the data. There are new discoveries every day,' commented Tovey, saying from a passenger drop-off inside a cruise ship. The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that traces of the new coronavirus were found 17 days later, suggesting that further research is needed on the survival of the virus.

As a scenario in which the new coronavirus attaches to a mobile phone, it is conceivable that a virus-containing droplet attaches to the surface of the main unit when an infected person talks on a mobile phone. If this cell phone is handed over to another person, the virus adhering to the surface may be transferred to the fingers of the hand and transmitted by touching the mouth, eyes, nose, etc. with the hand.

Also,

it has been pointed out that the new coronavirus may be transmitted via feces, so the small feces particles that scatter when flowing water contain the virus and are brought to the toilet In some cases, it may be attached to the surface of a mobile phone that has been removed. Tovey said hand washing after the toilet is important is to prevent transmission of the virus through feces.

In the scenario where the new coronavirus attaches to the surface of mail, if the sender or the mailer of the mail has been infected by the virus, the virus may attach when held or coughed by hand. However, the survival time of the new coronavirus on the surface of cardboard is thought to be about one day, and unlike plastic, etc., it is difficult for droplets to remain on the surface of porous cardboard, so Tovey says from cardboard Believe that the risk of infection is not so high.

Tovey argues that, first and foremost, basic measures are important to reduce the risk of transmission of the new coronavirus. 'Wash your hands frequently, reduce physical contact with others, and never go out when you're sick,' Tovey said.

He said that it would be safer to keep his or her mobile phone at hand, rather than passing it on to others. Ideally, it is recommended to wipe the surface of smartphones, tablets, and keyboards with a sanitizing wipe containing 70% alcohol, but even with a sanitizing wipe with a lower alcohol concentration, just wipe the surface and the new coronavirus Can be removed to some extent.

You can reduce the risk of infection by receiving mail or parcels without getting unnecessarily close to the delivery person, wiping the entire package once and opening it, and washing your hands after discarding the box or envelope. `` In the end, the risk will never be zero, so if you care too much about the routes of infection from the surface of all objects, the world will be a nightmare, '' Tovey said, saying more than necessary I advised you not to be too much.