Studies show that the coronavirus can live on cardboard surfaces for up to 24 hours, which means that packages and even food deliveries can pose a potential risk.
Whether you’re at home or in the office, being careful about handling deliveries means one less thing to worry about.
Sanitizing with time
Depending on the number of packages you receive, it’s not always practical to wipe everything down with EPA-registered disinfectants.
For non-essential packages and deliveries, consider keeping them in a separate area for a day before opening them. Because the virus only survives on cardboard for up to 24 hours, you can be reasonably confident that the packaging no longer poses a risk.
Essential or perishable deliveries
For urgent deliveries with essential or perishable items, Dr. Elizabeth Scott, a professor of microbiology at Simmons University, recommends opening them on the floor or outside of your house or building to keep packaging away from tables or countertops that people are likely to touch.
How long can the virus live on other surfaces?
Here’s what we know so far about how long SARS-CoV-2 can survive on other common surfaces:
Source: WebMD