Virus can survive on fabric for 3 days
A study by UK scientists has revealed Covid-19 can survive on fabrics for up to three days, and a Kiwi microbiologist says it provides good intel to how the virus works.
However, University of Auckland associate professor Dr Siouxsie Wiles says that while the study, by De Montfort University in Leicester, posed a risk, it doesn’t say if it’s still transmissible or not.
The BBC reported the results of the study which found Covid-19 can survive on three commonly-worn fabrics for up to three days polyester, poly cotton and 100 per cent cotton.
Polyester was deemed as posing the highest risk.
The study saw droplets of the virus added to the fabrics and the scientists then monitored its stability on each material for 72 hours.
Microbiologist Dr Katie Laird, who led the study, told the BBC the fabrics they tested were often used in healthcare uniforms.
On 100 per cent cotton, the virus lasted for 24 hours, while on poly cotton, the virus only survived for six hours.
The study also looked at washing methods of cotton.
While water was enough to remove the virus in all of the washing machines, when droplets of the virus were added, detergent was needed when the fabric was tainted with the virus from an artificial saliva.
The water temperature also had to be 40C or above to completely eliminate it.
Using temperature alone to rid the virus, 67C was required.
Wiles said she was pleased to see these studies taking place around the world, especially given the current affinity the issue had with New Zealand and its latest community outbreak. However, she hadn’t read the whole study so it remained unclear as to whether the virus was still transmissible on the fabric or just simply detectable.
“I haven’t got the full details but from what I can gather it’s basically
a lab-based study putting the virus on different types of materials.
“I don’t know whether it was still viable, so can they get virus on it that’s still [infectious] or whether they just looked for the genetic material in which case it could be viable or it’s just bits of degraded virus. Either way its great that it’s being done, it’s good to know how long the virus survives on material ... it will be useful for us to know in regards to our latest cases.”
While the study didn’t prove transmission it was handy to know that the virus is there or not.
“One of things that is difficult is that many places aren’t even able to say how transmission has happened, so countries like New Zealand, Australia, Taiwan that have such low levels of community transmission that weren’t able to even say that.”
She said the predominant way the virus seemed to continue to travel was aerosol and through close contact.
“What we don’t know is just how frequently fomite transmission like
this happens. One of the possibilities of what happened if it was through contaminated fabric for the person in Auckland, is that it might have been by bundling up material. You could basically aerosolise some virus particles. It’s not by touching it and then touching your face but actually getting those particles in the air.”
As for the current Auckland outbreak, Wiles said it reinforced the theory that laundry was the likely source of transmission and meant more measures should be put in place to prevent it happening again. Some of those measures could include looking at the process, how the laundry was treated, how staff are exposed, whether they needed different PPE, testing regimes or were even jumped in the queue for vaccination.
A Ministry of Health spokesperson said they continually monitored Covid-19 related evidence and science to ensure it was “guided by the most up-to-date information in our fight against Covid 19 and other diseases”. — Belinda Feek
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Google said in October it would pay publishers US$1B over the next three years.
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