The US CDC recently updated language on its COVID-19 website that now says coronavirus spreads easily from person-to-person but “does not spread easily” from “touching surfaces or objects.”
“It may be possible that a person can get COVID-19 by touching a surface or object that has the virus on it and then touching their own mouth, nose, or possibly their eyes. This is not thought to be the main way the virus spreads, but we are still learning more about this virus,” the CDC now says on its website.
Since the outset of the COVID-19 epidemic the agency has warned about the possibility of transmission from infected surfaces, namely by a person then touching their mouth, nose or face. In addition, a March study published in the New England Journal of Medicine reported that the virus could survive for hours on some surfaces.
No explanation was provided for the change, though the CDC still recommends frequent hand-washing and cleaning/disinfection of frequently touched surfaces.
