Infectious Life of COVID-19 on Surfaces and Fabrics

Some people wonder how long the virus that causes COVID-19 can live on surfaces and whether it's possible to be infected by touching a contaminated object in your house, the gym, or a car and then touching your mouth, nose, or eye.

The answer to the first question is that it depends on the surfaces. By and large, the virus that causes COVID-19 persists longer on nonporous surfaces like countertops than on porous surfaces like clothes and fabric.

In terms of transmission of COVID-19 from surfaces, research has long suggested that the risk is low compared to the airborne transmission of the virus. However, newer research suggests that risk may be higher than previously thought, particularly in households.

This article takes a look at how long the virus that causes COVID-19 lives on surfaces and the risk of getting COVID-19 from touching contaminated surfaces. It also explores whether newer virus variants increase the risk and which disinfectants are most effective in preventing infection.

Timeline of COVID Virus Survival on Different Surfaces

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‑CoV‑2) virus is a strain of coronavirus that causes COVID-19.

The transmission (passing) of the virus occurs when fluid droplets or particles get expelled from the mouth or nose of someone with COVID-19 through actions like talking, coughing, or sneezing. Most transmissions occur when people breathe in these infected airborne droplets or particles.

However, larger droplets can settle on surfaces and potentially cause infection if you touch the contaminated surface (called a fomite) and then touch your mouth, nose, or eyes. The passing of the virus by this means is called fomite transmission.

As long as the virus is alive, there is a potential for transmission if certain criteria are met.

Surfaces in Homes and Offices

When outdoors, virus-containing droplets larger than 5 micrometers tend to travel a few feet and settle on surfaces where they are usually so diffuse that they pose minimal risk of transmission. Environmental exposure to heat, high humidity, and ultraviolet (UV) radiation can also quickly neutralize the virus.

The same may not be true in homes and offices where enclosed spaces (like bathrooms and kitchens) limit the spread of the expelled particles to a smaller area. At the same time, environmental conditions in homes and offices tend to be controlled and more beneficial to the survival of the virus.

Environments with low humidity, low temperatures, and low UV light exposure are most hospitable to the virus that causes COVID-19.

Because of the many variables that influence virus survival, the virus that causes COVID-19 may be able to live on surfaces anywhere from 30 minutes to as long as seven days, according to a 2023 review of studies in Transbound Emerging Diseases.

Surfaces in Car

The survival of the virus that causes COVID-19 may be somewhat different in cars. While the size of a car's interior can concentrate the scattering of expelled fluids on dashboards and other surfaces, the environmental conditions inside the car may be inhospitable to the virus, particularly if the car is parked outdoors.

If exposed to temperatures greater than 72 degrees F (22 degrees C), the virus generally lives no longer than four minutes. Similarly, UV sun exposure through the windshield can inactivate the virus in less than 30 minutes.

Timeline of COVID-19 Virus on Fabrics and Hard Surfaces

Simply put, the virus that causes COVID-19 lives longer on nonporous surfaces like countertops, doorknobs, and handles than on porous surfaces like bedding, clothing, towels, and tissue paper. This is because the expelled droplets in the fibers of porous materials evaporate more quickly.

This is evidenced from a 2022 review of studies, which described the maximum survival time of the virus that causes COVID-19 on different surfaces based on the current body of evidence.

Factoring in COVID-19 Virus Variants 

It is well known that each new COVID-19 virus variant that emerges has the potential to become more virulent (meaning more easily spread). This is because the viral mutations that are able to evade the body's immune defenses are the mutations that are most likely to spread.

This is evidenced by a 2023 study in Frontiers of Health in which the duration of contagiousness of the Delta variant—the 12th COVID virus variant identified in 2020—was more than twice as long as the initial SARS-CoV-2 virus of 2019.

While this may suggest that newer variants can persist longer on surfaces, there is little evidence of that to date. In fact, certain mutations appear to make the virus less fit for survival once it is outside of the body.

By way of example, a 2023 study in Emerging Microbes & Infections reported the Omicron variant, first seen in 2021, had a far faster decay rate on surfaces like cardboard than the original SARS-CoV-2 virus.

It is also important to note that increased virulence does not mean that a virus is more pathogenic (able to cause disease). In fact, the Omicron variant is largely regarded to be less pathogenic than even the preceding Delta variant.

Risk of COVID-19 From Contaminated Surfaces

Most public health experts, including the Centers for Disease and Prevention (CDC), believe that the risk of fomite transmission of COVID-19 is low when compared to the risk of airborne transmission.

This is because, for a COVID-19 infection to occur, there needs to be a sufficient amount of viable viruses on a contaminated surface, which then needs to be transferred in sufficient quantity to the mucous membranes of the mouth, nose, or eyes. Unless these conditions are met, the odds of infection are low.

In the end, only a fraction of virus-containing particles may be transferred from surfaces to hands to mucous membranes. If only a few viruses are present, the immune system can usually block transmission.

Debate: Risk in Households

This is not to say that you can't get COVID-19 from touched surfaces or that preventive measures like disinfecting surfaces are any less essential than they were during the pandemic. Some researchers argue that the risk of fomite transmission may be higher than previously thought.

A 2023 study published in Lancet Microbe monitored 279 households in which one member was diagnosed with COVID-19. Tracing the pattern of infections to other household members, the researchers found that the risk of infection was 1.7 times greater if the person first diagnosed with COVID-19 had detectable viruses on their hands compared to those with no viruses on their hands.

While this doesn't necessarily mean that fomite transmission was the cause of infection in these households, it does highlight the need for preventive measures like handwashing and surface disinfection to reduce the risk.

This is especially true in households with younger children with COVID-19, who are most likely to be asymptomatic (without symptoms) but still able to spread the virus to others.

Does Disinfection Shorten Coronavirus Life on Surfaces?

Along with handwashing, face masks, and social distancing, cleaning surfaces has become one of the cornerstones of COVID-19 prevention. But only certain types of disinfectants are considered effective in eradicating the virus from surfaces.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is the federal body that regulates disinfectants in the United States. It lists over 35 agents, including alcohol, chlorine, and ammonia, that can neutralize the virus that causes COVID-19. Products intended for this purpose must be registered with the EPA.

With that being said, the EPA advises that thorough cleaning with soap and water is often enough to reduce the risk of transmission. The same applies to washing clothes with regular laundry detergent.

On the other hand, the EPA advises against products like UV lights or ozone generators sold as "germ sanitizers" as these have not proven to be effective against COVID-19.

A Word From Verywell

There is a low likelihood of acquiring a COVID-19 infection from touching a contaminated surface. However good hand hygiene and cleaning surfaces regularly are still beneficial to reduce the risk further.

— GEETIKA GUPTA, MD, MEDICAL EXPERT BOARD

Summary

The virus that causes COVID-19 can live on surfaces anywhere from minutes to days, depending on whether the surface is porous or nonporous. Temperature, humidity, and UV light exposure also influence survival times. On nonporous surfaces like plastic and stainless steel, the virus has been known to persist for as long as seven days.

Even so, public health officials say that the risk of infection from touched surfaces is low. To reduce the risk, wash your hands and clean surfaces regularly with soap and water. If you decide to use disinfectants, opt for those that have been registered with the EPA.