GENEVA – Two studies conducted by scientists of the Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology show that the risk of being infected with Covid-19 by touching contaminated surfaces is very low, “less than five in 10,000”.
Xinhua News Agency reported that both studies analysed 350 samples taken from frequently touched surfaces in everyday life, such as business-entrance door handles, ATM keypads and traffic light buttons.
The studies, published yesterday, showed that 29 of these surfaces have traces of the coronavirus, but the virus concentrations are “so low that the risk of infection from touching a contaminated surface is estimated to be low”.
The scientists concluded that oft-touched surfaces probably play a minimal role in community transmission of the virus.
However, they added that this may not apply to objects like dishes and tables, on which people may cough or sneeze more easily, and where “droplets with high viral loads” may be found.
According to one of the studies, caution and measures, such as hand disinfection, may still be necessary. It found that disinfecting surfaces is less effective than hand disinfection, which “substantially reduces the risks of infection”. – Bernama, February 5, 2021
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