The risk of catching COVID-19 in a hotel room is very low if it's properly cleaned, experts say

Sharing beds, silverware, and showers with strangers during a pandemic is understandably scary. That makes staying overnight in a hotel a no-no for many people these days.

Howell, who studies disinfection methods on surfaces, said a hotel's public areas — like the restaurant or lobby — are riskier than individual rooms, since the coronavirus typically spreads via airborne droplets , rather than shared surfaces. But according to Howell, the viral RNA on those surfaces probably"can't infect people — you need to have active virus present for that to happen." "This virus is pretty efficiently inactivated by disinfectants and soap and water, so as long as the room has been properly cleaned, the risk there is likely to be low," Howell said.

Even if virus particles persist on surfaces, they're unlikely to cause infectionsA person can get the coronavirus if they touch a surface or object that has viral particles on it then touch their mouth, nose, or eyes. The lifespan of the virus on objects depends on the type of material: One study found that it took three days for the virus to leave plastic and stainless steel, while other research suggests viral particles can live up to two days on cloth fabric and four days on glass.

Story continuesIndeed, the CDC says the virus"does not spread easily" from contaminated surfaces, though the agency continues to recommend that people"routinely clean and disinfect" high-touch surfaces just in case.

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