A new study on the latest variant of Covid-19, Omicron, has allowed us to know more about the new variant. He determined that the Omicron variant of Covid-19 survives up to 21 hours on human skin and up to 8 days on plastic surfaces.
LIVES 2X LONGER
Researchers from Kyoto Medical University in Japan examined the differences between the first case of Covid-19 in Wuhan and the environmental stability of its variants. The study, which has not yet been peer-reviewed, and preprinted on BioRxiv, showed that Alpha, Beta, Delta, and Omicron variants of the virus can survive on plastic surfaces and skin 2 times longer than the Wuhan strain.
In the study, the average life expectancy of the Wuhan type on plastic surfaces was 56 hours, the Alpha variant was 191.3 hours, the Beta variant was 156.6 hours, the Delta variant was 114 hours, and the Omicron variant was 193.5 hours.
RECORD TIME IN OMICRON VARIANT
On the human skin, the virus remained viable for 8.6 hours in the original, 19.6 in the Alpha variant, 19.6 in the Beta variant, 16.8 in the Delta variant and 21.1 hours in the Omicron variant.
Stating that the high environmental stability of the virus variants increases the risk of transmission by contact, the researchers emphasized that Omicron, which has the highest environmental stability, could thus have spread so quickly by replacing the Delta variant.
The researchers suggested that although Alpha, Beta, Delta and Omicron variants show slightly more resistance to alcohol, all variants become completely ineffective after 15 seconds of exposure to a 35 percent alcohol solution, and suggested that disinfectants should continue to be used for hand hygiene.