KATHMANDU: The coronavirus infection causing pathogens may remain active on the human skin for as long as nine hours, a study has revealed.

The study published in the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases, found that the SARS-CoV-2, which causes the infection, can be rapidly neutralized on skin by using sanitizers. This finding in fact highlights the importance of using sanitizers as well as washing hands intermittently, to contain the spread of the highly contagious infection.

The researchers examined the stability of SARS-CoV-2 and influenza A Virus (IAV), fused with culture medium (here, upper respiratory mucus), on human skin surfaces.

Furthermore, the researchers also tested the effectiveness of 80 percent ethanol alcohol against IAV and SARS-CoV-2, concluding that the aforementioned viruses were lifeless quicker on skin in comparison to other surfaces including stainless steel, glass and plastic.

The survival period for SARS-CoV-2 was dominantly higher than for IAV, 9 hours and 1.82 hours, for former and latter respectively.

Thus, the significantly longer survival duration of the novel virus further emphasizes the importance of hand hygiene and use of alcohol-based sanitizers in the fight against the ever spreading virus.