How Long Does Coronavirus Survive in the Air and on Surfaces?

SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19), can remain viable in aerosols for hours and on surfaces for days, according to a correspondence in the New England Journal of Medicine.

The virus’s median half-life was about 1 hour as an aerosol. No viable virus was detected after 4 hours on copper, 24 hours on cardboard, and 72 hours on plastic and stainless steel.

NEJM correspondence on aerosols and surfaces (Free)