Aerosol and surface stability of SARS-CoV-2 as compared with SARS-CoV-1

This study from the US NIAID – published as a letter to the NEJM – is now widely referenced for infectiousness of CoV-2 on different surfaces.

It compared the new coronavirus (CoV-2) with the first SARS virus in five environmental conditions (aerosols, plastic, stainless steel, copper, and cardboard). Both viruses had similar results, remaining infectious on all surfaces for 72 hours and for longer on stainless steel and plastic than on copper or cardboard.

However, the degree of infectiousness measured as tissue-culture infectiousness dose (TCID) dramatically dropped over this time, for example (from approximately 5000 to 5 TCID/mL) after 48 hours on stainless steel.

Ref: van Doremalen N et al. Aerosol and surface stability of SARS-CoV-2 as compared with SARS-CoV-1. NEJM. Letter to editor. DOI: 10.1056/NEJMc2004973 (17 March 2020)
https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMc2004973