Covid-19 can survive in clothes for up to THREE DAYS – with polyester clothes supporting the virus for longer, scientists warn
- De Montfort University (DMU) added droplets of a model virus to tissues
- It survives on polyester for 3 days, cotton for 2 days and polycotton for 6 hours
- Researchers advise that all health uniforms be washed to an industry standard
- Warn that washing with detergent at least 67 ° C can kill the virus at home, but the virus can spread to other surfaces beforehand
Covid-19-like coronaviruses can survive in clothing for up to three days, according to new research.
Research by De Montfort University (DMU) in Leicester looked at how a coronavirus behaves in three tissues commonly used in the healthcare industry.
Polyester allows the virus to survive in infectious levels for up to 72 hours, while it dies in 24 hours with 100% cotton.
However, coronaviruses can only survive in a poly-cotton hybrid for six hours, the study found.
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Covid-19-like coronaviruses can survive in clothing for up to three days, according to new research (file photo)
The study used a coronavirus model called HCoV-OC43, which is very similar to SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19.
Droplets were added to polyester, poly cotton and cotton to see how long the virus lasted on these surfaces.
The findings are worrying, the researchers say, because if the live virus sticks to health care workers ‘clothes, it could be transported from the hospital to the employees’ home and spread to various surfaces, allowing it to spread.
Microbiologist Dr. Katie Laird, who led the study, advised the government that all health uniforms should be washed in hospitals according to commercial standards or by an industrial laundry.
Dr. Laird, head of the DMU’s Infectious Disease Research Group, said: ‘When the pandemic started, there was very little understanding of how long the coronavirus could survive in tissues.
“Our findings show that three of the tissues most commonly used in healthcare are at risk for transmitting the virus.
“If nurses and healthcare professionals take their uniforms home, they may be leaving traces of the virus on other surfaces.”
Only when a detergent was used and the water was at least 67 ° C was the virus completely inactivated, but the researchers say that all health uniforms should be washed according to an industry standard and not taken home by the team
Public Health England (PHE) issued guidance in 2020 that health workers’ uniforms should be washed according to industry standards.
However, there is an exception to this if it is considered impossible.
The NHS says that washing at home at least 60 ° C is sufficient and capable of eliminating pathogens.
However, Dr. Laird cautions that this NHS guideline is based on 14-year-old evidence and needs urgent review.
The researchers put the NHS board to the test on 100 percent cotton, the most common fabric used in a healthcare setting.
When the virus was mixed with artificial saliva, the researchers found that washing machines may not remove the entire virus.
Only when a detergent was used and the water was at least 67 ° C was the virus completely inactivated.
‘While we can see from research that washing these materials at a high temperature, even in a domestic washing machine, removes the virus, it does not eliminate the risk that contaminated clothing will leave traces of coronavirus on other surfaces in the home or car before being washed.
‘Now we know that the virus can survive for up to 72 hours in some tissues and that it can also transfer to other surfaces.
‘This research reinforced my recommendation that all health uniforms should be washed on the spot in hospitals or in an industrial laundry.
“These washing methods are regulated and nurses and healthcare professionals don’t have to worry about taking the virus home.”