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This quote might be stale, e.g. New Zealand suggests that it has identified cases of infection via lift button and bin: https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/4274

This quote might be stale, e.g. New Zealand suggests that it has identified cases of infection via lift button and bin: https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/427446/rubbish-bin-the-likely-source-of-covid-infection https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/427446/rubbish-bin-the-l... Obviously this is disputed, because it's impossible to tell - saying "not been documented" is quite a neutral statement. Even if surface transmission is unlikely, a single case could be enough to trigger a wider outbreak. So, if you are doing what you can to prevent aerosol transmission, then it also makes sense to minimise surface transmission.

AuthorizedCust 6y ago
That is just a hypothesis. We know little about the soundness of the evaluation of all likely vectors for this case. Also, "if it would save just one life" is where you're going with the last sentence. Diverting attention into non-existent or rare transmission vectors removes attention from known transmission vectors, which will increase infections.
- deleted 6y ago
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- throwaway2245 6y ago
  > Also, "if it would save just one life" is where you're going with the last sentence. Please read again. If a virus is transmitted even once via a surface, it is then free to transmit onwards by whatever method is most efficient. This is likely to cause an outbreak whenever R>1. Preventing an additional outbreak is more relevant in NZ than in the US, perhaps.
sokoloff 6y ago
> pressing a button on a lift shortly after someone with Covid-19 used it If you rode in the lift shortly after someone with COVID-19 used it, it seems that airborne transmission is quite plausible.