Infection is possible by touching contaminated surfaces, but the risk is. Are you worried about touching the coronavirus on surfaces? We asked an infectious disease specialist how long the virus can survive on common surfaces and what we need to know to stay safe. Cold, flu, and other related viruses can remain infectious for several hours or days, depending on where the drops fall. Viruses generally remain active longer on hard surfaces such as stainless steel, plastic and the like than on fabrics and other soft surfaces.
The amount of virus that is deposited on a surface, as well as the temperature and humidity of the environment, also determine the time during which cold, flu and other viruses remain active outside the body.
