The new coronavirus can remain on the streets and even inside buildings indefinitely, showing that the risk of contagion is substantially higher than previously thought, reveals the conclusion of a study published in the journal Nature.
Particles of SARS-CoV-2 in suspension were detected in the areas around two hospitals in Wuhan, China. Different concentrations of the virus have also been found in local shops close to hospitals, one of them campaign.
Still, the Chinese scientists who carried out the investigation have not yet been able to determine the real potential for infection of SARS-CoV-2 when suspended in the air. After the experiments, the conclusions highlighted that the number of samples analyzed is, in fact, small, but the discovery is important enough to, once again, alert to the use of masks and the need to avoid crowds, as well as maintain ventilation of closed areas and perform careful disinfection of all environments.
For now, it is proven that the new coronavirus is transmitted through close contact with an infected person, in contact with contaminated surfaces and also through the inhalation of particles released by breathing or speaking from a person with SARS-CoV-2.
The study was carried out by the team of Ke Lan, from Wuhan University. They collected 40 samples from 31 places.
