- As of April 1, there were 932,605 confirmed cases of COVID-19, with 46,181 deaths around the world.
- A study by The New England Journal of Medicine from March 17 found the coronavirus lasted on plastic and steel for up to 72 hours, cardboard for up to 24 hours, and copper for up to four hours.
- Here are some things we interact with every day that could easily attract the virus.
- The solution is not to totally avoid touching things like groceries, phones, or elevator buttons — but take precautions.
- Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.
The coronavirus is mainly transmitted by droplets from the bodily fluids of people with the disease. The virus can survive this way on surfaces for a long time — which poses a challenge for everyday life.
Scientists still don't think surfaces are the main way the virus spreads, but it is possible to catch the virus by touching a surface with the virus there, then touching your face, according to the US CDC.
England's Deputy Chief Medical Officer, Dr Jenny Harries, told the BBC in March that the coronavirus can live on soft surfaces for 24 hours, and hard ones for 48 hours.
More recently, The Guardian reported on a new study by The New England Journal of Medicine from March 17. It found the coronavirus lasted on plastic and steel for up to 72 hours, cardboard for up to 24 hours, and copper for up to four hours.
Here are the objects to be wary of, and what to do minimize the chance of catching the coronavirus.
SEE ALSO: More people are under lockdown now than were alive during World War II
Groceries and packages
Harvard Medical School infectious disease epidemiologist and professor Dr. Julia Marcus told The Guardian there was a low risk of infection from groceries and delivered goods.
She said the transmission was possible if the deliverer was sick. The best practice was to be wary whenever something new entered your house and to wash your hands after dealing with it.
Cellphones
According to Quartz, in 2019, the number of mobile phones in the world took over the global population.
Business Insider reported in March that a smartphone carries more germs and bacteria than a toilet seat — an obvious problem when a virus is spreading.
However, Dr. Sankar Swaminathan, chief of the Infectious Diseases Division at the University of Utah School of Medicine, told Wire Cutter that phones aren't a big disease spreader unless they are often handed around from person to person.
On that front, AT&T recommended sharing photos online instead of passing a phone to a friend. It also recommended using Bluetooth devices, or hands-free headsets, to take calls so that the phone does not spend much time near your face.
To clean phones, Business Insider's Shida Feder recommended soap, water, and a damp microfiber cloth. Another option is to use a UV light device that kills germs.
Don't use alcohol or disinfectant, since these substances will damage the protective coating on phone screens.
Keys
Since they are a metal surface, keys can host the coronavirus for 48 hours, according to the advice from Dr. Harries.
She suggested in some cases that it could be as long as 72 hours.
The best way to keep these clean is to wipe them down after using them with an alcohol solution containing at least 70% alcohol.
ATMs
In Iran, firefighters disinfected ATMs to try and stop the coronavirus from spreading. But the best thing you can do is either wear gloves while using the machine or thoroughly wash your hands afterward.
According to Wire Cutter, it's important to be careful when interacting with ATMs or grocery store pin pads, since they are touched regularly by lots of people in quick succession. If you touch one of these things, wash your hands or sanitize as soon as possible.
One way to avoid contact with ATMs altogether is to move to a contactless payment system.
Money — including cash and cards
According to the Federal Reserve, the lifespan of paper cash can be anywhere from four to 23 years. In that time, they can become covered in germs.
On the plus side, because it's paper, if the coronavirus was on it, it's likely it'd only be active for 24 hours.
In China, the government is using ultraviolet light and heat to kill bacteria on cash, and banks were told cash had to be sterilized before being distributed to customers.
In early March, the World Health Organization advised people to avoid using cash, and use contactless pay systems like Apple Pay.
Infection expert Dr. Christine Tait-Burkard from the University of Edinburgh told The Guardian that coins are unlikely to spread the disease.
As for credit cards, they could carry the virus if someone coughed on it when it is handed over to make a payment.
Door handles
Touching door handles, and other similar hard surfaces, has a risk of transmission for up to 72 hours.
According to The Guardian, the best thing to do is be mindful of the surface you touch, and wash your hands.
Escalator handrails
For people who are still using public transport and holding onto handrails, the main takeaway is to try not to touch your face.
England's chief medical officer Professor Chris Whitty told the public not to touch their faces after touching a handrail, as there was "some risk of transmission."
Whitty told The Telegraph, "So, if you go on to the Tube and touch the rail, that's fine, but just be aware of what you do with your hands - don't touch your face, wash your hands, and then you can do what you like."
Commuting poles
Like handrails, poles on buses and subways are hard surfaces touched by a lot of people.
As Professor Whitty said, be aware of what you do with your hands, and don't touch your face, until you've washed your hands.
Lift buttons
Lift buttons are a necessity, but like ATMs, a lot of people touch them throughout the day.
In China, a number of solutions have arisen to avoid touching the buttons, according to the South China Morning Post. Some people used lighters, pens, or toothpicks to choose a floor, while other buildings use voice-controlled directions.
But the most futuristic answer to this problem was the implementation of holographic buttons, by at least one building in Hefei.
While the US doesn't appear to have holographic lift buttons in common use yet, tools like toothpicks could work, as long as they're thrown away afterward.
The other alternative is to not touch your face after touching the lift button, and wash, or disinfect, your hands, as soon as you can.
Communal surfaces at work
This isn't a problem for the large number of people who are now working from home — more than 85% of all Americans have been ordered to stay at home.
But for those still going to work, communal surfaces, in office kitchens or work bathrooms, all come into contact with multiple people throughout the day.
According to The Guardian, after doing the tea round you should make sure to sanitize your hands.
Finally, the best thing you can do is wash your hands, often, and thoroughly.
