TRACES of coronavirus have been found on a contaminated cruise ship 17 days after passengers left, a new study has found.
The study was conducted by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) on the Diamond Princess which previously reported more than 700 cases of coronavirus.
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The research looked at rooms which were vacated by infected passengers, both those with symptoms and those without.
However, the study could not confirm whether this meant the virus could be transmitted from the surfaces to people, depending on it’s survivability.
It explained: “SARS-CoV-2 RNA was identified on a variety of surfaces in cabins of both symptomatic and asymptomatic infected passengers up to 17 days after cabins were vacated on the Diamond Princess but before disinfection procedures had been conducted.
“Although these data cannot be used to determine whether transmission occurred from contaminated surfaces, further study of fomite transmission of SARS-CoV-2 aboard cruise ships is warranted.”
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Previous studies found the virus survived for much shorter times, depending on the surface they were located on.
For example, the active virus appeared to survive three days on plastic and stainless steel, and just 24 hours on cardboard.
Yet many experts are conflicted over how long the virus survives on surfaces – British doctor Professor Chris Whitty suggests a timeframe of 72 hours – meaning people could be at risk for up to three days.
However, German scientist, Professor Gunter Kampf, found it could survive for up to nine days on plastic and fives days on glass, metal, and wood.
To compare, normal flu viruses can survive on hard surfaces and infect another person for 24 to 48 hours.
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The Diamond Princess was put on lockdown just off the port of Yokohama in January after more than 700 cases of coronavirus were confirmed on the ship.
Another Princess Cruises liner, the Grand Princess, was also quarantined on the coast of the US after a number of coronavirus cases on board.
Princess Cruises has since suspended their entire fleet of ships.
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More than 600 Brits are currently stuck on a Caribbean cruise ship due to a coronavirus outbreak.
One worried relative explained on social media: “My father-in-law, 85 with one lung, is on Braemar with his wife. He will be running short of medication.”
We’ve explained what to do if you have a cruise holiday booked for the future, and how you can get a refund or reschedule it.
