Scientists warn that Covid-19 can survive up to THREE DAYS on clothing – with polyester clothing that sustains the virus the longest.
- De Montfort University (DMU) added drops of a model virus to tissues
- It survives 3 days on polyester, 2 days cotton and 6 hours polycotton
- Researchers recommend washing all health uniforms to an industry standard
- Warn that a detergent of at least 67 ° C can kill the virus at home, but can wipe the virus on other surfaces beforehand
Coronaviruses similar to Covid-19 can survive on clothing for up to three days, according to new research.
Research conducted by De Montfort University (DMU) in Leicester looked at how a coronavirus acts on three tissues commonly used in the healthcare industry.
Polyester enables the virus to survive for up to 72 hours on infectious levels, while dying on 100 percent cotton within 24 hours.
However, the coronaviruses can only survive for six hours on a polycotton hybrid, the study found.
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Coronaviruses similar to Covid-19 can survive on clothing for up to three days (file photo)
The study used a model coronavirus called HCoV-OC43, which is very similar to SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19.
Drops were added to polyester, polycotton and cotton to see how long the virus lasted on these surfaces.
The findings are worrying, the researchers say, because if live virus sticks to the clothes of health workers, it can be carried from the hospital to the staff home and rubbed on various surfaces to spread.
The microbiologist Dr Katie Laird, who led the study, advised the government to wash all health clothing in hospitals according to commercial standards or by a laundromat.
Dr Laird, head of the Research Group for Infectious Diseases at DMU, said: ‘When the pandemic first started, there was very little understanding of how long the coronavirus could survive on textiles.
‘Our findings show that three of the most commonly used textiles in healthcare pose a risk of transmitting the virus.
“If nurses and health workers take their uniforms home, they can leave traces of the virus on other surfaces.”
Only when a detergent was used and the water was at least 67 ° C, the virus was completely inactivated, but researchers say that all health uniforms should be of an industry standard and not taken home by staff.
Public Health England (PHE) published guidelines in 2020 that the uniforms of health workers should be washed according to industry standards.
However, there is an exception to this if it is considered impossible.
The NHS says a home wash of at least 60 ° C is good and can get rid of pathogens.
However, Dr Laird warns that this NHS guidance is based on evidence of 14 years and needs to be urgently reviewed.
The researchers tested the NHS advice on 100 percent cotton, the most common textile fabric used in a healthcare environment.
When the virus was mixed with artificial saliva, the researchers found that household washing machines could not remove all of the virus.
Only when a detergent was used and the water was at least 67 ° C was the virus completely inactivated.
‘Although we can see from research that washing this material, even in a household washing machine, removes the virus, but it does not remove the risk of infected clothing traces of coronavirus on other surfaces in the house or car before washing .
‘We now know that the virus can survive up to 72 hours on some textiles and that it can also be transmitted to other surfaces.
‘This research reinforced my recommendation that all health uniforms be washed on site in hospitals or at an industrial laundromat.
“These washing methods are regulated and nurses and health professionals do not have to worry about the possible taking of the virus home.”