WASHINGTON: A new research has revealed that the novel coronavirus is quickly destroyed by sunlight.
Science and technology advisor to the Department of Homeland Security secretary, William Bryan stated that ultraviolet rays had a potent impact on the pathogen, offering hope that its spread may ease over the summer.
He said, “Our most striking observation to date is the powerful effect that solar light appears to have on killing the virus, both surfaces and in the air.”
“We have seen a similar effect with both temperature and humidity as well, where increasing the temperature and humidity or both is generally less favorable to the virus,” he asserted.
He then showed a slide summarizing the results of the experiment that were carried. It showed that the virus’s sustainability for staying longer was 18 hours when the temperature was 70 to 75 degrees with 20 percent humidity on a non-porous surface.
This includes surfaces like door handles and stainless steel. But the half-life dropped to six hours when humidity rose to 80 percent and just two minutes when sunlight was added to the equation.
When the virus was suspended in the air, the half-life was one hour when the temperature was 70 to 75 degrees with 20 percent humidity. In the presence of sunlight, this dropped to just one and a half minutes.
Bryan concluded, “Summer-like conditions will create an environment with a transmission that can be decreased”. However, he cautioned that reduced spread did not mean that social distancing guidelines cannot be fully lifted.
Though the study has not yet been released for review for independent experts to comment on how robust its methodology was.
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