How long do flu viruses last on surfaces

Cold viruses can survive on indoor surfaces for up to seven days, but are infectious only for about 24 hours. Generally, they last longer on hard, nonporous surfaces such as plastic or stainless steel. The virus is less likely to live as long on soft, porous surfaces such as tissues.

You’re more likely to catch a cold from someone who’s contagious. Still, being careful around potentially infected objects can help.

Washing your hands often is a critical step in preventing colds, especially when you’re in close contact with a sick person. Use disinfectants to clean objects or areas that have been in contact with individuals who are sick.

The majority of colds are caused by rhinoviruses, the most common causes of viral infections in humans. These pathogens thrive in warm, moist environments such as throats and nasal passageways. Infants, the elderly and those with weakened immune systems are at the highest risk for infection.

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Droplets containing rhinovirus can spread the bug through coughs and sneezes. If you’re around someone with a cold, avoid touching your face. Your hands can pick up the virus; then when you touch your mouth, nose or eyes, you can get infected. If you’re sick, cover coughs and sneezes.

Cold symptoms include sore throats, runny noses, nasal congestion, coughing, fatigue and headaches or general soreness. Rest and over-the-counter medicines are typically enough to reduce symptoms within a couple of days. Fever or chills, as well as more severe or abruptly occurring symptoms, may be a sign of the flu rather than a cold.

Flickr, Erich Ferdinand SOURCE: Flickr, Erich Ferdinand

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How long does the flu virus live outside the body and how can we kill it to stop the spread?

As the flu continues to sicken people and cause deaths across the country, some of the most commonly asked questions are how long does the flu virus last on various surfaces, and what can be done to prevent its spread in homes and workplaces.

Flu viruses are spread by infected people beginning at least one day before they have symptoms and up to a week after -- even longer for children. You remain contagious until your fever has been gone at least 24 hours, Mayo Clinic officials say.

People with the flu can spread it to others from up to about 6 feet away. Most experts think that flu viruses are spread mainly by droplets created when people with the flu cough, sneeze or talk.

Flu viruses in droplets can survive in the air for several hours, and lower temperatures increase their survival rate, according to the National Health Service of England.

NHS officials say flu viruses don’t last long on hands, falling to low levels within about five minutes. But within those few moments, it is very easy to transfer the virus to eyes, mouths and noses, or leave it on surfaces where the virus will survive.

The flu virus can live on hard objects such as telephones, computer keyboards, doorknobs, kitchen countertops or toys for up to 48 hours, Mayo Clinic officials say.

Flu viruses survive less on porous surfaces, such as clothing, paper and tissue, experts say. Most flu viruses can live one to two days on nonporous surfaces, and 8 to 12 hours on porous ones.

A University Hospital of Geneva study found flu viruses on paper money survived up to 72 hours, but when mixed with human mucus, one Type A strain remained active for 17 days.

Soaps, hydrogen peroxide, alcohol, chlorine and commercial germicides will all kill the flu virus on surfaces, according to CDC officials.

The flu virus is also killed by heat above 167 degrees, which may be attained in a dishwasher, but is too hot for handwashing. That makes soap an intrinsic element in killing the virus on hands.

Soap-and-water hand-washing for at least 20 seconds is needed to effectively kill the flu virus, experts say. If soap and water aren’t available for hand-washing, alcohol-based hand sanitizer will still work.

Even if you’re not usually a germaphobe, cold and flu season can have the strongest-willed of us feeling squeamish about touching things like bus and subway poles, doorknobs, and even shaking a stranger’s hand. As many moms like to remind their kids: You don’t know where that hand has been. And during the colder months, when it seems that everyone is sniffling and sneezing, a hands-off policy may seem smart.

But how likely is it really that you’d get sick from touching an infected handrail or countertop?

Pretty likely, Alison Carey, MD, an associate professor of microbiology and immunology at Drexel University, tells Health. “Flu viruses can survive on hard surfaces (like bus poles) and infect another person for 24 to 48 hours,” she says. “Cold viruses don’t survive as long—usually a few hours. But there is evidence that they can survive and be passed on for up to 24 hours.”

So yes, it’s entirely possible that someone who has a cold or the flu can sneeze into their hand, then touch a doorknob or bus pole, and anyone who opens the same door or grabs the same pole for the next few hours (and up to a whole day) can catch their illness. The longer the virus sits, the more the possibility of someone catching the cold or flu decreases, Dr. Carey says. “But people can definitely get it from touching bus poles, especially in the five to 10 minutes that elapse from a sick person getting off the bus and someone else getting on,” she says.

Any surface can harbor a cold or flu virus long enough for someone to touch it and get sick, Dr. Carey says, but there are certain germy hotspots like bus and subway poles and doorknobs. Basically, it’s worth being wary of any surface that gets touched again and again during the day, such as: handrails, doors, light switches, faucets, and public transportation poles. “If you’re going through a subway turnstile, that gets touched and touched and touched,” Dr. Carey says.

So how can you protect yourself, short of wearing latex gloves everywhere you go? It comes down to good hand hygiene and proper sneezing etiquette, Dr. Carey says. “Just wash your hands! And keep them away from your face as much as possible."

People touch their faces all the time without realizing it, she adds, and that’s an easy way to take a cold virus from the doorknob right into your body. “It’s not that difficult to pass along the viruses,” Dr. Carey says. “That’s why everyone gets sick this time of year.” If you’ve touched an infected surface and then bring your hand up to cover a yawn or rub your eye or scratch your nose, then you’re introducing that virus to a vulnerable spot on your body, and it’s sure as heck going to take advantage.

Keep those hands clean (alcohol-based hand sanitizer can do the trick when a sink isn't available) and away from your face—and sneeze into a tissue or into the crook of your elbow if you’re already sick. Other than getting the flu shot, it's one of the best ways to keep the virus from spreading.

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