Cold Virus Lifespan and Other Facts

[Quillie]

Hello all,

 

First off, I am not a scientist, I am hoping someone can answer a question for me. Probably a simple question but...

 

How long does a virus (cold) live on surfaces that are used in the nose and mouth of the infected individual, such as the thermometer, a plastic nasal saline spray bottle nozzle, etc? These items are usually covered by a plastic cap or case, and the spray bottle nozzle might still be somewhat humid for a time.

 

I find facts like these to be difficult to find. Would these items necessarily have more virus on them than their hand or a pen that they touched? It seems families go around and around with a cold virus, they keep infecting each other. Is this because the virus mutates? Can cold viruses mutate on a hard surface so you can catch the cold you deposited on a thermometer a week ago, again, if you put it your mouth without cleaning it?

 

Any scientific fact link you have would be appreciated. I even tried the CDC website and they don't seem to have this type of info.

 

Thank you so much

Edited October 18, 2013 by Quillie

[CharonY]

Well there is no cold virus per se, but a range of viruses (and bacteria, actually) that can cause symptoms associated with cold. Rhinovirus is probably one of the most common viruses involved.

 

There are some studies on rhinoviruses. Shattar et al. (Can J Microbiol. 1987 Sep;33(9):802-6.) placed their survival from rhinovirus suspended in nasal discharge to about 0.09-0.25 h, depending on relative humidity.

 

Viruses are essentially protein encased nucleic acids and many are not terribly resilient.

However, there are exceptions, including norovirus, which can survive on dry surfaces for an extended time.

Edited October 18, 2013 by CharonY

[Quillie]

Thank you, that helps me to find some scientific data.