May 11, 2020
The rapid spread of COVID-19 has urged scientists to discover all the ways in which the virus be transmitted. The hope is that understanding its transmission will enable us to limit its spread.
Viruses can be transmitted through air, human contact, and food. COVID-19 is mainly spread through person-to-person contact. Respiratory droplets spread when an infected person coughs, sneezes, or talks. These droplets can go onto the floor, food, grocery bags, and clothes.
Scientists have researched how long virus droplets can live on each of these surfaces. They have also examined how well a virus can live in water and for how long.
Source: Water, sanitation, hygiene and waste management for COVID-19
Scientists wanted to test how long viruses could live in a variety of water samples. Water samples were collected from laboratory faucets. Some samples were filtered and some were left unfiltered. The samples were also split between room temperature (23 degrees) and cold temperature (4 degrees).
They grew viruses in cells and mixed viruses with tap water. They measured how many days it took for the viruses to be significantly reduced in the combined samples.
At room temperature, it required only 10 days for coronavirus to almost completely inactivate in filtered water. In cold water, coronavirus could last over a hundred days.
All viruses survived longer in previously filtered water, compared to unfiltered tap water.
Polioviruses survived much longer than coronavirus in water, with traces living upwards of 71 days at room temperature. Polioviruses survived six times longer than coronavirus at room temperature.
These findings tell us that coronaviruses are much more likely to be inactivated by water than other viruses. It tells us that coronaviruses are more sensitive to water temperature as well.
The CDC doesn’t want us to worry about COVID-19 in our water. Standard treatment methods used by our water systems should remove and inactive the virus.
There is no evidence that COVID-19 lives in pools, hot tubs, spas, or water play areas. Again, proper water-related maintenance should eliminate any viruses.