Dr. Sudhir Mehta shares his expert comments on yet another paper published in NEJM that throws light on the transmission routes of the of both SARS-CoV-1 and SARS-CoV-2 viruses.

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SARS coronaviruses- Viable in aerosols for hours and on surfaces for days*

To compare SARS-CoV-1, which caused a multi-country outbreak in 2002 to 2003, and SARS-CoV-2, which causes COVID-19 (now a pandemic), researchers evaluated stability of the two viruses in aerosols and on various surfaces and estimated decay rates. They aerosolised the viruses (creating particles <5 μm) using inoculum that resulted in values similar to those found in human respiratory tract samples.