Every day millions of people are exposed to microscopic germs and bacteria that live on surfaces and in the air. Many times, bacteria and germs enter our body and have no effect on us, but say one day it did. An invisible germ entered into your body and now you’re sick. You have tried everything to get rid of it but couldn’t. Every day your symptoms are getting worse and worse and as a last resort you go to the doctor, and they diagnose you with the Coronavirus. The invisible killer that has no cure. We know that the Coronavirus can be deadly to the human body, but many of us don’t know that it can be affected by water in its different states.
The Corona can spread just like any other cold, cough, or flu. When someone coughs and sneezes droplets containing the virus particles then get released into the air and onto many different items and surfaces. How long the virus survives on these surfaces depends on the material, temperature, and kind of surface it lands on. A study conducted to see how the long the Corona Virus could live on surfaces concluded, that when the virus is exposed to certain objects, temperature, and humidity that it can die within hours. However, when exposed to cloth, wood, and other items the results differed. According to the article titled, “The Coronavirus Can Live on a Surgical Mask for 7 Days, Cloth for 2 Days, and Paper for 3 Hours” the author mentioned, “The researchers behind the new study tested the virus' life span in a 71-degree-Fahrenheit room at 65% relative humidity. After three hours, the virus had disappeared from printing and tissue paper. It took two days for it to leave the wood and cloth fabric. After four days, it was no longer detectable on glass or paper money. It lasted the longest, seven days, on stainless steel and plastic” (Woodward).
This explains, that in warm temperatures like mid-Spring or early Summer when the temperature is high with lots of moisture in the air the virus life is cut short on paper and tissue only able to live for 180 minutes. However, when wood, glass, paper, and cloth fabric is exposed to the same environment the virus can live days instead of hours but the longest object the virus can live on is stainless and plastic. The virus can live on these surfaces for a whole week when exposed to a warm temperature with moisture in the air. Longer than any other surfaces mentioned, which makes this virus is more dangerous than previously thought because most people drink out of plastic water bottles especially as the weather gets warmer. Not to mention, most household appliances such as doorknobs, locks, keys, sinks, and faucets are made from stainless steel which makes people more susceptible to catching the virus if any of the items are exposed to the virus droplets in the conditions mentioned above.
A liquid can be defined as something that flows freely and always takes the shape of anything it is placed in like water. When the Coronavirus comes in contact with the liquids soap and water it may be able to break the virus down, by killing the germs inside the virus shells. The article states, “ Soap and water are your first line of defense to remove the virus from surfaces. Soap interferes with the fats in the virus shell and lifts the virus from surfaces and this is then rinsed off by water.” (Ciric). This means, that soap and water when used in conjunction with one another, are very effective at removing the virus from hands and exteriors. The soap starts to act right away by lifting the virus from the area, disturbing the fats which weaken the virus and makes it easier to be washed away by the running water.
Another liquid that destroys the Coronavirus is bleach. When bleach comes in contact with the Coronavirus it weakens the virus by destroying or breaking down the part of the virus that contains acid. In the article “Cleaning Products Can Kill The COVID-19 Virus” the author concedes, “The active ingredient in bleach – sodium hypochlorite – is very effective at killing the virus. Make sure you leave the bleach to work for 10-15 minutes then give the surface a wipe with a clean cloth” (Ciric). This informs us that you can just apply bleach to a surface and wipe it off right away The bleach must remain on the surface for at least 15 minutes to properly kill the virus and then you can wipe it off. This example also explains that liquid bleach works by killing the part of the virus that allows the virus to multiply and spread. and you should always read the instructions on the bottle before using any chemicals.
A third, liquid that can exterminate the Coronavirus is a liquid called surgical spirit. The liquid Surgical spirit contains alcohol and ethanol it kills the Coronavirus by breaking it down. The article explains, “ Surgical spirit is mostly made up of the alcohol ethanol. Ethanol has been shown to kill the coronavirus in as little as 30 seconds. Like bleach, the alcohol destroys the protein and RNA that the virus is made up of” (Ciric). This is an example of a powerful liquid that's able to devour the virus in less than a minute. The liquid goes right to work as soon as contact is made with the virus.
In closing, little is known about the Coronavirus but what is known is that one way the virus is able to spread its deadly particles into the air and onto surfaces which have caused hundreds of thousands if not millions of people to become infected. The life span of the virus depends on the temperature, humidity, and surface it lands on. In some weather conditions, and on some surfaces, the virus is only able to survive hours before it dies. On others, it able to thrive for days even weeks before the particles die. There are a few liquids that are able to break down and even destroy the Coronavirus when contact is made. One being soap water, which is an inexpensive defense against the virus which works together to destroy the outer cover and raises the virus from the area and washes it away. Bleach is also very effective when it is applied in the correct matter. However, it needs to stay on the surface for 10-15 minutes for it to work properly at killing the virus. because it has the ability to kill the virus completely if it is used according to manufacturer instructions. Surgical Spirit has a fast-acting liquid that is able to destroy the virus completely in half a minute by everything in the virus leaving no trace of it. The virus reacts differently when exposed to different solids, liquids, environments, items, and objects. Science is still trying to understand the virus, how it spreads, thrive, and dies. No one is safe until science finds a cure.