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No. From the CDC: > It may be possible that a person can get COVID-19 by touching a surface or object that has the virus on it and then touching their own mout

No. From the CDC: > It may be possible that a person can get COVID-19 by touching a surface or object that has the virus on it and then touching their own mouth, nose, or possibly their eyes, but this is not thought to be the main way the virus spreads. > In general, because of poor survivability of these coronaviruses on surfaces, there is likely very low risk of spread from food products or packaging that are shipped over a period of days or weeks at ambient, refrigerated, or frozen temperatures.

suchire 7y ago
Not sure the CDC is the most credible source at this point
- daenz 7y ago
  >most credible source Which would you say is the most credible source then?
  - willj 7y ago
    This study [1] says it can last on surfaces for 2-3 days. https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.03.09.20033217v1.full.pdf https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.03.09.20033217v...
    - tempestn 7y ago
      Which would be consistent with the risk being low for goods shipped from Europe or Asia to North America, right?
    - Angostura 7y ago
      That's an un peer-reviewed pre-print.
      - exdsq 7y ago
        That might be so, however there are enough names from enough reputable research centers to take it at face value. If we need to wait for printed peer-reviewed journal papers to combat an active pandemic then we might be waiting a while!
- willj 7y ago
  Not sure why I can’t reply to the commenter below. Anyway, here’s a link backing up the parent’s claim, contrary to whatever CDC is saying: https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.03.09.20033217v1.full.pdf https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.03.09.20033217v...
  - brianpgordon 7y ago
    That study isn't saying anything contrary to what the CDC is saying. Or am I the parent that you're agreeing with, and you meant "regardless of whatever the CDC is saying?"
    - willj 7y ago
      Maybe I misinterpreted what you meant. Your quote from the CDC said that the virus has poor survivability on surfaces, but the study I linked concluded it can survive for 2-3 days.
      - brianpgordon 7y ago
        The relevant part of the CDC quote was "because of poor survivability of these coronaviruses on surfaces, there is likely very low risk of spread from food products or packaging that are shipped over a period of days or weeks" and the study preprint you linked showed that in the worst case (polypropylene surfaces) no live virus at all was detected after 72 hours while on cardboard it was more like a third of that time (with large error bars).
      - creato 7y ago
        These are not mutually exclusive statements. It probably can survive for weeks in rare cases, but if it doesn't do that often it doesn't matter. Any method of transmission that infects fewer than one additional person on average are effectively negligible on the overall exponential curve. So yes, it is likely possible that symptomatic people can infect others, and it is likely possible that a contaminated doorknob can infect people for a week, but if these things happen rarely enough, it doesn't matter. The virus will die out if other routes of infection (e.g. the more typical person to person transmission) can also be made rare enough.
rubicon33 7y ago
Yes. very low risk != no risk.
dboreham 7y ago
>but this is not thought to be the main way the virus spreads. How does it spread then? Seems hard to believe all these people are being infected through hand shakes or being coughed on.
- deleted 7y ago
  [deleted]
- brianpgordon 7y ago
  I'm just going to quote the CDC again, because public health authorities are really the best sources of information we have and I don't want to participate in the "telephone" effect that paraphrasing begets: > The virus is thought to spread mainly from person-to-person. > * Between people who are in close contact with one another (within about 6 feet). > * Through respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs or sneezes. > These droplets can land in the mouths or noses of people who are nearby or possibly be inhaled into the lungs. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/about/transmission.html https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/about/transmission...
  - dboreham 7y ago
    As a non-expert on coughing dynamics, it seems incredible that one person can infect 50 others by this mechanism (reported New Rochelle transmission from one patient, confirmed by contact tracing and testing contacts).
    - dx034 7y ago
      At a carnival party in Germany with 350 guests, more than 40 were infected by a single guest. That gives an idea how well it spreads in enclosed spaces. You can assume there was somewhat close contact, but I've been to business meetings with also at least 5-10 people <6ft from me. That's how it can spread through a company within days.
      - tluyben2 7y ago
deleted 7y ago
[deleted]
mcv 7y ago
Today I read that it can survive for up to 3 days on some surfaces.
noodle_face_ 7y ago
https://www.aarp.org/health/conditions-treatments/info-2020/coronavirus-surface-contamination-tests.html https://www.aarp.org/health/conditions-treatments/info-2020/... The CDC themselves were involved in the study that says you're wrong. If someone is able to find the source for this info I'd really appreciate it. Just spent like 10 minutes trying to find the paper they're citing but I can't find it and I don't have time to keep looking now. Maybe it isn't published? It might be this one, actually. This one suggests it can live up to 72 hours on certain surfaces. https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.03.09.20033217v1.full.pdf https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.03.09.20033217v... I'd love to have some more data on this if anyone can provide.

suchire 7y ago

Not sure the CDC is the most credible source at this point

daenz 7y ago
>most credible source Which would you say is the most credible source then?
- willj 7y ago
  This study [1] says it can last on surfaces for 2-3 days. https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.03.09.20033217v1.full.pdf https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.03.09.20033217v...
  - tempestn 7y ago
    Which would be consistent with the risk being low for goods shipped from Europe or Asia to North America, right?
  - Angostura 7y ago
    That's an un peer-reviewed pre-print.
    - exdsq 7y ago
      That might be so, however there are enough names from enough reputable research centers to take it at face value. If we need to wait for printed peer-reviewed journal papers to combat an active pandemic then we might be waiting a while!
willj 7y ago
Not sure why I can’t reply to the commenter below. Anyway, here’s a link backing up the parent’s claim, contrary to whatever CDC is saying: https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.03.09.20033217v1.full.pdf https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.03.09.20033217v...
- brianpgordon 7y ago
  That study isn't saying anything contrary to what the CDC is saying. Or am I the parent that you're agreeing with, and you meant "regardless of whatever the CDC is saying?"
  - willj 7y ago
    Maybe I misinterpreted what you meant. Your quote from the CDC said that the virus has poor survivability on surfaces, but the study I linked concluded it can survive for 2-3 days.
    - brianpgordon 7y ago
      The relevant part of the CDC quote was "because of poor survivability of these coronaviruses on surfaces, there is likely very low risk of spread from food products or packaging that are shipped over a period of days or weeks" and the study preprint you linked showed that in the worst case (polypropylene surfaces) no live virus at all was detected after 72 hours while on cardboard it was more like a third of that time (with large error bars).
    - creato 7y ago
      These are not mutually exclusive statements. It probably can survive for weeks in rare cases, but if it doesn't do that often it doesn't matter. Any method of transmission that infects fewer than one additional person on average are effectively negligible on the overall exponential curve. So yes, it is likely possible that symptomatic people can infect others, and it is likely possible that a contaminated doorknob can infect people for a week, but if these things happen rarely enough, it doesn't matter. The virus will die out if other routes of infection (e.g. the more typical person to person transmission) can also be made rare enough.

rubicon33 7y ago

Yes. very low risk != no risk.

dboreham 7y ago

>but this is not thought to be the main way the virus spreads. How does it spread then? Seems hard to believe all these people are being infected through hand shakes or being coughed on.

deleted 7y ago
[deleted]
brianpgordon 7y ago
I'm just going to quote the CDC again, because public health authorities are really the best sources of information we have and I don't want to participate in the "telephone" effect that paraphrasing begets: > The virus is thought to spread mainly from person-to-person. > * Between people who are in close contact with one another (within about 6 feet). > * Through respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs or sneezes. > These droplets can land in the mouths or noses of people who are nearby or possibly be inhaled into the lungs. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/about/transmission.html https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/about/transmission...
- dboreham 7y ago
  As a non-expert on coughing dynamics, it seems incredible that one person can infect 50 others by this mechanism (reported New Rochelle transmission from one patient, confirmed by contact tracing and testing contacts).
  - dx034 7y ago
    At a carnival party in Germany with 350 guests, more than 40 were infected by a single guest. That gives an idea how well it spreads in enclosed spaces. You can assume there was somewhat close contact, but I've been to business meetings with also at least 5-10 people <6ft from me. That's how it can spread through a company within days.
    - tluyben2 7y ago

deleted 7y ago

[deleted]

mcv 7y ago

Today I read that it can survive for up to 3 days on some surfaces.

noodle_face_ 7y ago

https://www.aarp.org/health/conditions-treatments/info-2020/coronavirus-surface-contamination-tests.html https://www.aarp.org/health/conditions-treatments/info-2020/... The CDC themselves were involved in the study that says you're wrong. If someone is able to find the source for this info I'd really appreciate it. Just spent like 10 minutes trying to find the paper they're citing but I can't find it and I don't have time to keep looking now. Maybe it isn't published? It might be this one, actually. This one suggests it can live up to 72 hours on certain surfaces. https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.03.09.20033217v1.full.pdf https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.03.09.20033217v... I'd love to have some more data on this if anyone can provide.