The SARS-CoV-2 Virus may Remain Viable on Oral Appliances for up to 3 Days?

The SARS-CoV-2 virus has created havoc in the world by causing the COVID-19 pandemic.¹ The affected patients exhibit fever, cough, and apnea. Hospitalization is often due to progressive respiratory distress, which, in a proportion of patients, had led to fatalities.² The geriatric population is at a higher risk, because of their reduced immunity and the presence of comorbid conditions like diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and cardiovascular diseases. Health authorities have advocated social distancing as a method to contain the spread of this contagious disease. A landmark study has shown that the SARS-CoV-2 virus can remain viable on various surfaces like cardboard, stainless steel, plastic, and copper for a long duration. The research conducted by van Doremalen et al.³ has created an aerosolized environment using SARS-CoV-2 (105.25 50% tissue-culture infectious dose [TCID50] per milliliter) in a Goldberg drum using a 3 jet collision nebulizer and has exposed various materials such as cardboard, paper, stainless steel, plastic, and copper to the virus. The SARS-Cov-2 virus was found to be viable in aerosol for only 3 hours, although its presence on material surfaces lasted significantly longer, especially in stainless steel and plastic surfaces, wherein the virus was detected for up to 72 hours.³.