Can covid be spread on surfaces? If so, to what degree?

job seeker

Hi all, can Covid be spread on surfaces? There appears to be a lot of conflicting info online? The HSE website indicates that it can be but in the self-isolation section it adhesives to give your clothes to someone to wash. Which can't be good advice if it's spread on surfaces?

If they can be spread on surfaces, to what degree can they spread? Does a positive case just have to touch or cough on a surface?

Someone else told me you have to be 15 minutes, less than 2 meters away from a positive case to contract covid and that it can't be passed on by surfaces at all? I'm just so confused..

Thanks!

ceadaoin.

There is little to no evidence that it spreads via touching surfaces. Its an airborne virus. A recent study of more than 900 samples taken from high touch areas in Canadian stores all tested negative for coronavirus

https://www.ctvnews.ca/health/coronavirus/hundreds-of-samples-from-ontario-grocery-stores-examined-for-coronavirus-all-test-negative-1.5624652

https://www.cbc.ca/radio/whitecoat/coronavirus-is-airborne-so-stop-disinfecting-everything-expert-1.6022520

Scuid Mhór

In the initial stages of the virus, it was speculated that it was possible that it was spread by surfaces. By now it seems very unlikely that that is actually the case.

Chris_5339762

Probably there is a little bit of spread by touching surfaces - if someone had sneezed and a droplet ended up on a surface which you then touched and accidentally inhaled.

But this effect is likely completely overwhelmed by airbourne transmission - especially with Delta around.