Coronavirus survives on surfaces for hours by turning into a pancake-like film - Daily Mail

Particles containing the coronavirus that land on a surface remain infectious for several days by transforming into a microscopic, pancake-like film after the water in the droplet has evaporated.

The film fully evaporates at different times, depending on the material it has landed on, with a large droplet on stainless steel and copper lasting just 24 and 16 hours, respectively. .

The film (bottom)  covers the same amount of areas as the droplet (top), with the same radius and initial angle of steepness.

Particles containing the coronavirus from sneezes and coughs that land on a surface remain infectious for several hours because the water in the droplet evaporates and turns from a sphere into a pancake-like, microscopic film (stock)

In the film form, the coronavirus can endure for several hours, and even days, on hydrophobic surfaces if left undisturbed. 

The film covers the same amount of areas as the droplet, with the same radius and initial angle of steepness

'Our biggest surprise was that the drying time of this nanometric film is on the order of hours,' said Bhardwaj

'It suggests the surface isn't completely dry, and the slowly evaporating nanometric film is providing the medium required for the survival of the coronavirus.'