Coronavirus Can Survive on Skin for 9-Hours

A new study published by Clinical Infectious Disease on October 3, 2020, indicates the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus survives on human skin for up to 9 hours. This extended survival time on human skin may increase the contact-transmission risk of SARS-CoV-2 compared to other viruses.

However, these researchers found appropriate hand hygiene is highly effective at neutralizing the coronavirus. SARS-CoV-2 found in the mucus/medium on human skin were completely inactivated within 15-seconds by ethanol treatment.