Hong Kong Med J 2025;31(Suppl 4):S27-30
Stability and transmissibility of SARS-CoV-2: abridged secondary publication
LLM Poon1, HL Yen1, WHA Chin1, M Huang2
1 School of Public Health, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
2 Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
 
 
  1. The stability of SARS-CoV-2 under various environmental conditions, including temperature and pH, is demonstrated. Droplet transmission of SARS-CoV-2 is efficient.
  2. SARS-CoV-2 remains stable on smooth surfaces for days but becomes inactive relatively quickly on porous surfaces.
  3. Copper-containing stainless steel, metal oxide-containing, and porous surfaces effectively inactivate SARS-CoV-2.
  4. SARS-CoV-2 is sensitive to commonly used disinfectants.
  5. Contaminated N95 masks can be disinfected by heating at 70°C for 1 hour in an oven.