Beautiful Virgin Islands

Sunday, Jul 06, 2025

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

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 report, published in medical journal The Lancet on Thursday, adds 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.

On printing and tissue paper it lasted less than three hours, while on treated wood and cloth – a standard cotton laboratory jacket – it disappeared by the second day.

On glass and banknotes the virus was still evident on the second day, but had gone by the fourth, while on stainless steel and plastic it was present for between four and seven days.

The researchers said that “strikingly” there was still a detectable level of infection on the outer layer of a surgical face mask after seven days.

“This is exactly why it is very important if you are wearing a surgical mask you don’t touch the outside of the mask,” Peiris said.
“Because you can contaminate your hands and if you touch your eyes you could be transferring the virus to your eyes.”

On all surfaces, the concentration of the virus reduced quite rapidly over time, the study said.

The researchers also said that the results did “not necessarily reflect the potential to pick up the virus from casual contact”, as the presence of the virus in the study was detected by laboratory tools, not fingers and hands as would be the case in everyday life.

A study by American researchers on the environmental stability of the coronavirus published last month in the scientific journal Nature also concluded that it could remain infectious on some surfaces for days.

They found the virus was present on plastic and steel for up to 72 hours, but did not last more than four hours on copper or 24 hours on cardboard.

The team included scientists from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention

.The findings from HKU add to the conversation about public health and hygiene, and what kinds of precautions people should take when bringing items like groceries into their homes.

Hand washing remains at the top of the list for Poon, who said it was theoretically possible for tins of food to carry enough live virus to cause an infection, but that the exact risk had yet to be established.

“If you want to protect yourself just maintain good hygiene, wash your hands often and try not to touch your face, your mouth or nose without cleaning first,” he said.

People who were particularly concerned might prefer to leave non-perishable items in their shopping bags in the kitchen for a day before handling them, he said.

“That would reduce the viral titre [concentration] a lot. But the most important message is wash your hands.”

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
London Stock Exchange Faces Historic Low in Initial Public Offerings
A new online platform has emerged in the United Kingdom, specifically targeting Muslim men seeking virgin brides
Trump Celebrates Independence Day with B-2 Flyover and Signs Controversial Legislation
Boris Johnson Urges Conservatives to Ignore Farage
SNP Ordered to Update Single-Sex Space Guidance Within Days
Starmer Set to Reject Calls for Wealth Taxes
Stolen Century-Old Rolls-Royce Recovered After Hotel Theft
Macron Presses Starmer to Recognise Palestinian State
Labour Delayed Palestine Action Ban Over Riot Concerns
Swinney’s Tax Comments ‘Offensive to Scots’, Say Tories
High Street Retailers to Enforce Bans on Serial Shoplifters
Music Banned by Henry VIII to Be Performed After 500 Years
Steve Coogan Says Working Class Is Being ‘Ethnically Cleansed’
Home Office Admits Uncertainty Over Visa Overstayer Numbers
JD Vance Questions Mandelson Over Reform Party’s Rising Popularity
Macron to Receive Windsor Carriage Ride in Royal Gesture
Labour Accused of ‘Hammering’ Scots During First Year in Power
BBC Head of Music Stood Down Amid Bob Vylan Controversy
Corbyn Eyes Hard-Left Challenge to Starmer’s Leadership
London Tube Trains Suspended After Major Fire Erupts Nearby
Richard Kemp: I Felt Safer in Israel Under Attack Than in the UK
Cyclist Says Police Cited Human Rights Act for Riding No-Handed
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Musk Battles to Protect Tesla Amid Trump Policy Threats
Air France-KLM Acquires Majority Stake in Scandinavian Airlines
UK Educators Sound Alarm on Declining Child Literacy
Shein Fined €40 Million in France Over Misleading Discounts
Brazil’s Lula Visits Kirchner During Argentina House Arrest
Trump Scores Legislative Win as House Passes Tax Reform Bill
Keir Starmer Faces Criticism After Rocky First Year in Power
DJI Launches Heavy-Duty Coaxial Quadcopter with 80 kg Lift Capacity
U.S. Senate Approves Major Legislation Dubbed the 'Big Beautiful Bill'
Largest Healthcare Fraud Takedown in U.S. History Announced by DOJ
Poland Implements Border Checks Amid Growing Migration Tensions
Political Dispute Escalates Between Trump and Musk
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Amazon Reaches Milestone with Deployment of One Millionth Robot
US Senate Votes to Remove AI Regulation Moratorium from Domestic Policy Bill
Yulia Putintseva Calls for Spectator Ejection at Wimbledon Over Safety Concerns
Jury Deliberations in Diddy Trial Yield Partial Verdict in Serious Criminal Charges
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
King Charles Plans Significant Role for Prince Harry in Coronation
Two Chinese Nationals Arrested for Espionage Activities Against U.S. Navy
Amazon Reaches Major Automation Milestone with Over One Million Robots
Extreme Heat Wave Sweeps Across Europe, Hitting Record Temperatures
Meta Announces Formation of Ambitious AI Unit, Meta Superintelligence Labs
Robots Compete in Football Tournament in China Amid Injuries
×