Coronavirus Can Survive in Air for 3 Hours, on Surfaces for up to 3 Days: Study

A computer image created by Nexu Science Communication together with Trinity College in Dublin, shows a model structurally representative of a betacoronavirus, the type of virus linked to the Wuhan COVID-19 outbreak, shared with Reuters on Feb. 18, 2020. NEXU Science Communication/via Reuters

The novel coronavirus can remain in the air for up to 3 hours and live on certain surfaces for up to three days, new research suggests. 

Researchers from the National Institutes of Health, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), UCLA, and Princeton University stressed in their study (pdf) published Wednesday that the findings do not prove that anyone has been infected through breathing the virus from the air or by touching contaminated surfaces.