Society

Coronavirus survives on skin five times longer than flu, Japan study finds

Oct 19 (Japan Times) - The coronavirus remains active on human skin for nine hours, Japanese researchers have found, in a discovery they said showed the need for frequent hand washing to combat the COVID-19 pandemic.

The pathogen that causes the flu survives on human skin for about 1.8 hours by comparison, said the study published this month in the Clinical Infectious Diseases journal.

â€œThe nine-hour survival of SARS-CoV-2 (the virus strain that causes COVID-19) on human skin may increase the risk of contact transmission in comparison with IAV (influenza A virus), thus accelerating the pandemic,â€ it said.

The research team tested skin collected from autopsy specimens, about one day after death.

Both the coronavirus and the flu virus are inactivated within 15 seconds by applying ethanol, which is used in hand sanitizers.

LDP leadership race heads to runoff after no candidate wins majority

The race to become the leader of Japan's main ruling Liberal Democratic Party has come down to a runoff between Takaichi Sanae and Ishiba Shigeru. The winner is virtually assured of becoming the next prime minister. (NHK)

Hakamada Case Ends With Acquittal After 58 Years

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Japan launches information-gathering satellite on H2A rocket

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New Red Lights for Japan's Police Cars

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Over 300 New Geoglyphs Discovered by Yamagata University in Nazca

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