Viruses similar to the strain that causes Covid-19 can survive on clothing and transmit to other surfaces for up to three days, scientists at De Montfort University Leicester (DMU) have warned in a new report. For the study, scientists looked at how coronavirus behaves on three fabrics commonly used in the healthcare industry. They tested a model coronavirus on polyester, polycotton and 100% cotton and found that traces can remain infectious for up to three days. Also Read -Delhi makes negative RT-PCR Test mandatory on arrival for people coming from these five states.

Microbiologist Dr Katie Laird who led the study, along with  virologist Dr Maitreyi Shivkumar and postdoctoral researcher Dr Lucy Owen, added droplets of a model coronavirus called HCoV-OC43, which has a very similar structure and survival pattern to that of SARS-CoV-2, to polyester, polycotton and 100% cotton, BBC reported.

Stability of the virus on each material was then studied for 72 hours. The results showed polyester posed the highest transmission risk, with the virus still present after three days and with the ability to transfer to other surfaces. On 100% cotton, the virus lasted for 24 hours, while on polycotton, the virus only survived for six hours.

“When the pandemic first started, there was very little understanding of how long coronavirus could survive on textiles. Our findings show three of the most commonly-used textiles in healthcare pose a risk for transmission of the virus. If nurses and healthcare workers take their uniforms home, they could be leaving traces of the virus on other surfaces,” Dr Laird, who is head of the university’s infectious disease research group at DMU said.

The study also looked for reliable ways for removing the virus from 100% cotton fabric. Only when detergent was used and the temperature increased to above 67°C was the virus was completely eliminated.

Meanwhile, coronavirus can survive longer on glass and plastic than paper or cloth. A recent study by IIT (Bombay) found that the virus can stay for four days on glass and seven days on plastic and stainless steel.