Coronavirus tips: COVID-19 will be with us for a long time, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Wednesday. It also warned that most countries were still in early stages of tackling the pandemic. With the number of cases in India continuing to be on a sharp rise, it is important that we take utmost precautions in terms of wearing masks and washing hands after touching surfaces. According to WHO, it is not certain for how long the novel coronavirus survives on surfaces. However, the virus seems to behave like other viruses, it says.
“Studies suggest that coronaviruses (including preliminary information on the COVID-19 virus) may persist on surfaces for a few hours or up to several days. This may vary under different conditions (e.g. type of surface, temperature or humidity of the environment),” says the WHO website.

n case you suspect that a surface may be infected, you can clean it with a disinfectant to kill the virus for protecting yourself and others. After cleaning the surface, do not forget to wash your hands with soap and water. Avoid touching your eyes, mouth and nose during or after cleaning the surface.