Coronavirus dies faster in higher temperatures: report

Coronavirus dies faster in higher temperatures: report

Here’s an advantage to be had from parking your car under direct sunlight, and something that could be helped by our tropical climate. Heat is key to killing coronavirus, according to Travis Glenn, professor of environmental health science at the University of Georgia College of Public Health.

“Coronavirus lives a few days on many surfaces at room temperature, but it dies far faster at higher temperatures. It will also live a lot longer if the temperatures are low. Storing packages in a cold garage is not likely to reduce coronavirus on or in those packages,” Glenn said.

A strain of coronavirus – SARS CoV-1 – that is very similar to the SARS CoV-2 strain which causes Covid-19 is known to become inactive at high heat levels, around 130 to 150 degrees Fahrenheit (54.4 to 65.5 degrees Celsius), according to the report.

Coronavirus dies faster in higher temperatures: report

“If you heat a material up to 130 degrees Fahrenheit, which is the high setting on a dryer or a very low oven setting, you only need about 20 minutes to kill greater than 99.99% of the virus. “If you’re heating up to 150 degrees Fahrenheit or higher, then you only need about five minutes to kill greater than 99.99%,” said Glenn.

“Parked cars get rather hot on sunny days, so you can either rotate two masks, leaving on in the car while you shop, or just leave your mask in the car when you get home, as long as you’re parking some place warm,” said the professor. Of course, be mindful to not leave behind any children or pets as you do so.

An oven or a dryer could also be a very effective way of disinfecting masks, he said. More testing still needs to be done, though initial findings have revealed that higher temperatures mean shorter times before the virus dies, said Glenn. This could be helpful to anyone who is on the move and therefore needs to wear masks daily, and who may need a quicker or more convenient way of disinfecting between uses.

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Mick Chan

Open roads and closed circuits hold great allure for Mick Chan. Driving heaven to him is exercising a playful chassis on twisty paths; prizes ergonomics and involvement over gadgetry. Spent three years at a motoring newspaper and short stint with a magazine prior to joining this website.

 

Comments

  • kimi's fan on May 20, 2020 at 10:48 am

    yeah..water is wet fire is hot

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 4 Thumb down 0
    • Aura89 on May 20, 2020 at 2:59 pm

      So Donald Trump was right to reject the environmentalist demands and raise global warming temperatures. When the Earth finally reaches 55 degrees Celcius, we can finally eradicate COVID-19 and future coronaviruses. This is the only way.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 12 Thumb down 3
      • My Father Is Not Mother on May 20, 2020 at 8:21 pm

        A million years ago, human knows fire can cook meals

        Like or Dislike: Thumb up 2 Thumb down 0
        • History Bender on May 20, 2020 at 10:29 pm

          A million years ago, humans wouldn’t live pass 30 as the world was cooler then. Now the world is sweating, we have humans living past 100 as norm. The world could do a little bit warmer for us to live longer.

          Like or Dislike: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 2
  • Yindoo Yiran Conqueror on May 20, 2020 at 10:51 am

    Ironically human also dies faster in higher temperature, fever and heat stroke etc.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 11 Thumb down 1
  • Kuryakin on May 20, 2020 at 11:09 am

    I have been doing this since January
    I wear a cap, safety glasses, mask and cloth gloves when I am out, leave them in the car to heat up while wearing another set. I have several sets to rotate, so i don’t wear latex gloves.
    while the cloth gloves are not good barriers, they do not allow direct skin contact and i rotate them every 2 to 3 hours.
    keep safe

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 8
  • Add A Comment on May 20, 2020 at 11:51 am

    can the stupid american stop using Fahrenheit

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 19 Thumb down 3
    • English Teacher on May 20, 2020 at 4:12 pm

      That is like asking Commonwealth English dictionaries to stop using milestones and call them klickstones instead.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 2 Thumb down 1
  • azrai on May 20, 2020 at 12:34 pm

    It is not only the heat but the UV rays also help kill the virus. Since people use premium tint on their car, UV cannot penetrate how.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 12 Thumb down 1
    • ya ya, totally agree with you, after all this pandemic, the white man in stateland of freedom not as clever as we though , thus, much much more idiot and barbaric than we aspect. TO MAKE AMARICA GREAT AGAIN, Everytime i think of this phase, i will bring up that idiot face.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 6 Thumb down 0
  • vivizurianti on May 20, 2020 at 11:59 pm

    No, not salah China.

    Ini semua salah kelawar. Ini salah batman.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 3 Thumb down 1
 

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