A new study has found that COVID-19 coronavirus can survive on face masks for seven days and on banknotes, stainless steel and plastic surfaces for days.
The researchers from University of Hong Kong (HKU), however, said that the deadly virus can be killed by household disinfectants, bleach or washing of hands with soap and water.
The findings of the study were published in The Lancet journal.
"SARS-CoV-2 can be highly stable in a favourable environment, but it is also susceptible to standard disinfection methods," said the researchers, including Leo Poon Litman and Malik Peiris, both from HKU's School of Public Health.
The study showed that coronavirus remains on printing and tissue paper for less than three hours and it survives on treated wood and cloth for two days.
The researchers, however, noted that a detectable level of infection remains on the outer layer of a surgical face mask even after seven days.
"This is exactly why it is very important if you are wearing a surgical mask you don't touch the outside of the mask," Peiris said.
"Because you can contaminate your hands and if you touch your eyes you could be transferring the virus to your eyes," he was quoted by South China Morning Post.
The researchers also said that the results did "not necessarily reflect the potential to pick up the virus from casual contact," as they studied laboratory tools as part of their research.
In March, a study published in journal Nature had claimed that COVID-19 coronavirus can remain infectious on some surfaces for days.
The study done by American researchers had found that virus can survive on plastic and steel for up to 72 hours, but did not last more than four hours on copper or 24 hours on cardboard.
