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Commentary Clin Ter 2021; 172 (4):268-270
Persistence and distribution of SARS-CoV-2 in the aerosol and
on the surfaces
Kewal Krishan1, Tanuj Kanchan2
1
Department of Anthropology, Panjab University, Chandigarh, India, 2Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, All India
Institute of Medical Sciences Jodhpur, India
Abstract
The novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2
(SARS-CoV-2) has created havoc worldwide ever since its emergen-
ce in December 2019. The current evidence indicates that the virus
remains viable in aerosols for hours and on fomites for few days. A
little information is available on the topic, the present communication
reviews the perseverance and distribution of the novel coronavirus in
the aerosol and on various inanimate surfaces so that the appropriate
safety measures can be undertaken and the virus protection guidelines
may be framed accordingly. Ter 2021; 172 (4):268-270. doi: 10.7417/
CT.2021.2329
Key words: COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2 persistence, distribution, Ae-
rosol, Fomites
A large group of viruses known to affect birds and mam-
mals is referred to as “coronavirus”. It is named because of
crown like spikes on its surface. There are seven types of
coronaviruses that can infect human beings i.e. 229E (alpha
coronavirus), NL63 (alpha coronavirus), OC43 (beta corona-
virus), HKU1 (beta coronavirus), MERS-CoV (Middle East
Respiratory Syndrome-the beta coronavirus), SARS-CoV
(Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome-the beta coronavirus)
and the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 causing the coro-
navirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) (1). Presently, the entire
world is fighting against the COVID-19 pandemic which
has infected about 175 million and is responsible for the
death of more than 3.7 million people till 13th June, 2021
(2). The tremendously fast diffusion and transmission ability
of SARS-CoV-2 has stimulated concern about the possible
routes of transmission and the virus viability on various
surfaces. We are keenly following the recently published
literature on the aerosol, surface stability and distribution of
Correspondence: Kewal Krishan, PhD, FRAI, Associate Professor and Former Chair, Department of Anthropology, Panjab University, Sector-
14, Chandigarh-160 014, India. (ORCID ID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5321-0958). E-mail: gargkk@yahoo.com; kewalkrishan@pu.ac.in;
Phone: +91-9876048205 (Mobile)
Copyright © Società Editrice Universo (SEU)
ISSN 1972-6007
Kewal Krishan, et al.
doi: 10.7417/CT.2021.2329
the SARS-CoV-2. We have reviewed some related research
publications, and tried to keep the collected information at
one place which will help the healthcare workers and general
public to keep their knowledge updated. We have certain
observations and suggestions that are likely to further add
to the existing knowledge of environmental contamination
and distribution of this virus.
Very little is known about the aerosol and surface sta-
bility of the SARS-CoV-2 as only a few studies have been
conducted in this regard. A recent study conducted by van
Doremalen et al. (3), compared aerosol and surface stabi-
lity of SARS-CoV-2 and SARS-CoV-1. The experiments
were based on aerosols, plastic, stainless steel, copper, and
cardboard. The authors reported a very similar stability of
the novel SARS-CoV-2 and the previously known SARS-
CoV-1 in the aerosol and on the surface of the objects. The
experiment suggested that the SARS-CoV-2 may live and
survive up to 72 hours on plastic and steel, however, the
amount and titer of viable virus significantly decreases
with the advancement of time. It can survive on copper for
about 4 hours and on cardboard for up to 24 hours (Table 1).
Another study (4) has confirmed that under the controlled
conditions, the liquid droplets from cough, sneezing and
even exhalations, can travel from 7 to 8 meters and stay in
the air for few minutes. The study further cautions about
the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 through aerosols, and
recommends protective equipment and appropriate physical
distance to reduce the virus transmission (Table 1). Chin et
al. (5) concludes that SARS-CoV-2 is more firm on smooth
surfaces than the other surfaces. According to the study, the
live virus was not detected on printing and tissue papers
after 3 hours, treated wood and cloth on 2nd day, glass and
bank notes on the 4th day, stainless steel and plastic surfaces
on the 7th day.
Persistence and distribution of SARS-CoV-2 in the aerosol and on the surfaces
Table 1. Persistence of SARS-CoV-2 on different surfaces and in the aerosol according to different studies
Ong et al. (7) indicated that the SARS-CoV-2 may be
transmitted by air, and that it remains on objects and different
surfaces, personal protective equipment of the attending
doctors, and ventilator in the room of an infected patient.
They showed widespread environment contamination by
SARS-CoV-2 patient in the isolation room in a Singapore
hospital. Different sites in the isolation room inclusive of an
air exhaust fan, and three toilet sites (toilet bowl, sink, and
door handle) were found to be infected with SARS-CoV-2
(Table 2). Contamination of the air exhaust fan of the room
with SARS-CoV-2 indicated at the possibility of the virus
carrying droplets getting stuck on the fan during the flow
of the air through the blades. It implies that the air may
retain the virus for some time and may displace it to the
nearby objects and equipment in the room. Another recent
study (8) measured the viral RNA in different areas in two
hospitals of Wuhan, China, during the COVID-19 outburst.
The concentration of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in the aerosols in
isolation wards, ventilated patient rooms and most of the
public places was found to be very low and undetectable
except in the crowded places may be due to the possibility
of infected persons. However, the patients’ toilet areas, the
269
places prone to crowding and some of the medical staff areas
had high concentration of SARS-CoV-2 RNA (Table 2).
The studies and experiments conducted till date caution
and warn the healthcare workers and close contacts of
the SARS-CoV-2 infected patients about the virus being
transmitted through the aerosols within limited distance
and from various nearby objects. Recently, World Health
Organization issued a precautionary (9) on the basis of a
communication (10) that “Airborne spread particularly in
specific indoor locations, such as crowded and inadequately
ventilated spaces over a prolonged period of time with in-
fected persons cannot be ruled out”. Studies have indicated
at the possibility of surface and air transmission of the virus
under controlled conditions and environment, however, the
transmission of SARS-CoV-2 from one person to another in
the open air/outdoor air still remains to be explored. Further
research needs to be conducted to confirm the stability of
the virus in the air and on the fomites taking into conside-
ration the different temperatures, wind speed and climatic
conditions, so that the virus transmission can be understood
in a better way.
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Table 2. Distribution of SARS-CoV-2 on different surfaces and in the aerosol
Conflict of interest: The authors declare that there is no
conflict of interest regarding this manuscript.
Acknowledgements: Kewal Krishan is supported by a
DST PURSE grant and UGC Center of Advanced Study,
CAS II awarded to the Department of Anthropology, Panjab
University, Chandigarh, India.
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