Corona: Viruses on door handles or cash? Experts explain the danger

The virus thrower in hand? (Icon image) Picture: Getty

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Doorknobs, cell phones, cash: what can you touch in corona times?

Anyone who now drives with the increasingly empty buses and trains sees more and more people with white cotton or latex gloves. Many people only open doors of public buildings with their elbows. And cell phones are sometimes thoroughly cleaned with disinfectant several times a day.

All these observations clearly show us again: The corona virus is spreading in Germany and people are trying to take appropriate precautions. The minds sometimes differ over which of these are sensible and effective.

That’s why watson spoke to virologists and medical professionals to find out: What is the best way to deal with everyday objects that we often have to touch in times of coronavirus? What else can we touch? Do we have to fear cell phones, cash and doorknobs?

It is still unclear how long corona virus will survive on surfaces

First of all: Since Sars-CoV-2 is a novel virus, there are still no generally valid statements from experts about how well and for how long the pathogens survive on inanimate areas. The virologist Norbert Tautz from the University of Lübeck assumes that the virus is rather unstable on surfaces. “So the main danger clearly comes from infected people,” he told watson.

In his NDR podcast “Coronavirus Update” on Monday, virologist Christian Drosten from Charité Berlin said the virus could survive on plastic surfaces for up to three days, according to a study by the US health institute NIH. “However, this is difficult to apply to everyday life,” added Drosten.

In addition, the creators of the study found that the infectivity decreased significantly after a few hours. Other factors, such as humidity or temperature, can also affect how long live corona viruses persist on surfaces.

So far, no infections with the corona virus have been detected over surfaces. However, the data situation has not yet been fully recorded. As long as it makes sense to take certain precautions to curb the transmission of Covid-19.

How do you best handle door handles now?

Granted, it always looks a bit awkward when you try to open your public toilet door with your elbow. General practitioner Wolfgang Kreischer thinks this makes sense. He advises watson either to open the door with his elbow or to wear gloves. Nevertheless, according to the doctor, it says: “Then wash your hands intensively with soap.”

Virologist Thomas Schulz from the Hannover Medical School also recommends opening doors with the elbow or foot. He also considers cloth gloves to be a way to protect himself, “but then wash them regularly with soap.”

Do you have to constantly clean your cell phone?

Such a smeared cell phone display looks like the perfect playground for pathogens. Your smartphone may not be as dangerous as you may have thought. This is what Axel Baumgarten from the Center for Infectious Diseases Berlin / Prenzlauer Berg (ZIBP) says:

So as long as you don’t share your phone with numerous other people and wash your hands, it shouldn’t pose any health risks.

Virologist Schulz also advises to simply wipe the cell phone every now and then – if necessary with a little moisture. Medic Kreischer recommends using a disinfectant wipe.