If you have been worried about wiping down packages or grocery bags to avoid the coronavirus, the CDC has some good news. While it’s possible to catch the virus by touching a surface that has the virus and then touching your nose or mouth, that is no longer thought to be the main way the virus spreads.
A study in The New England Journal of Medicine in March found that the virus can survive up to three days on metal surfaces and plastic and up to 24 hours on cardboard, under ideal conditions.
In order for you to catch the virus from a surface, it seems clear that the virus would have to be transmitted to the surface in large enough amounts. Then, survive on the surface until you touched it. And then survive on your skin until you touch your nose, eye or mouth.
This coronavirus spreads most easily when people are in close contact with one another, like in a conversation, especially in poorly ventilated spaces.
Washing your hands thoroughly is still important, but pay closer attention to keeping six feet apart from others as much as possible and wearing a mask when you’re in a more crowded environment.
