Studies suggest Omicron variant lasts longer on human skin and surfaces

Researchers continue to unfold the traits of the dominant Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2 and its sub-lineages currently responsible for the global surge in Covid-19 cases. The latest trait identified is that the Omicron variant lasts longer on surfaces and human skin than its predecessors.

In the earlier phase of the pandemic, there were concerns among health experts that the Covid infection can be transferred not just through the air but by coming in contact with contaminated surfaces as well, making periodic hand sanitization imperative.  Since then, there have been ongoing studies about how the virus spreads and exists in the environment with omicron and other variants, and it has now been found that Omicron lasts for 21.1 hours on human skin and 193.5 hours on inanimate surfaces.

Both the studies are published in an academic journal but are yet to be peer-reviewed. The first study took the surfaces that people came in contact with within their daily lives and the other study tested human skin samples from autopsy specimens for the experiment. For the surface study, one of the samples was plastic. Virus survival time was calculated up till when they were no longer able to detect on the sample surfaces. It was found that the original Wuhan strain survived for 56 hours on the plastic surface. Variants like alpha, beta gamma, delta lasted for 191, 157, 59, and 114 hours respectively. 

On human skin, the strain lasted for 8.6 hours, and the later variants between 11 to 19.6 hours. Omicron survived the longest among all the variants both in human skin (21.1 hours) and plastic (more than 8 days). Its survival length is close to the original strain but much higher than its immediate predecessor, the Delta strain.

Researchers also studied the Omicron variant on smooth versus porous surfaces like stainless steel, glass, polypropylene sheets to printing paper and facial tissues.  It was found that Omicron survived highest in the glass surface and some traces of it can be recovered even after seven days. Overall omicron was more stable than other strains on all surfaces. The variant survived significantly less time in porous surfaces like facial tissues (30 minutes) and on printing paper (15 minutes).

An earlier study published in Nature in January 2021 also came up with similar conclusions i.e. seven days on nitrile gloves, four days on chemical resistant gloves, although at much lower quantities, 21 days on plastic, and 14 days on stainless steel. The new study, however, is more inclusive as it compares the different variants on different surfaces and human skin.

These studies shed light on how the way it stays on surfaces, soil, skin factors into risk of infection and how knowing more about its survival traits will help in limiting its spread in the future.

from | The Financial Express https://ift.tt/5Zy0gbB