How long can COVID-19 live on cardboard boxes?
Anika H. Ahmed, MD
Cardboard boxes commonly used for packing and shipping goods are prepared by pressing together two moist sheets of paper, usually cellulose pulp obtained from wood or grasses and dried into various sizes of flexible sheets. It is much thicker than paper and can withstand the weight of light goods, hence used widely for shipping but it can provide a temporary home to viruses and bacteria. During the COVID-19 pandemic across the globe, people have survived mainly by ordering basic goods online. This leads to almost weekly, if not daily, pick up of cardboard boxes from mailboxes and front doors. A concern many share is whether the cardboard boxes being brought into a home otherwise sanitized and safe could be a source of Coronavirus infection. Scientists have conducted various studies to see how long the Coronavirus can survive on various surfaces. In one study there was a simulation done by spraying Coronavirus through coughing and sneezing on different surfaces including cardboards, clothes, plastic, and various hard surfaces. This study led to the conclusion that COVID-19, besides spreading through close contact between humans, can also be spread by touching contaminated surfaces and then touching the face, especially the nose and the mouth with contaminated hands.
As I write this, a UPS truck pulls over at my neighbor’s house and drops a package. My neighbor, an extra cautious woman, does not even allow the UPS person to come to her front door. She signals him to drop the package in her front yard under the tree. She next sprays down the package and moves back. Observing her behavior over the last two months, I know she is going to let the package sit for another 24 hours before being willing to touch it. Why is she that cautious?
After many scientific studies it has been observed that Coronavirus can survive and is detectable for up to four hours on copper, two to three days on plastic and stainless steel, and 24 hours on cardboard specifically. This scientifically proven fact should warn everyone (including my neighbor) that handling cardboard boxes is not entirely safe. Anytime a positive COVID-19 case whether symptomatic or asymptomatic has sprayed on it through coughing or sneezing, it can be a source of infection. If proper guidelines laid out by Centers For Disease Control of frequent hand washing properly for at least 20 seconds is not followed, then many can become victims of COVID-19 by just touching a cardboard package within 24 hours after it gets contaminated. Realistically there is no way of ensuring that the box sitting in your mailbox or at your front door will not give you COVID-19. To cut down on the risk, it is strongly recommended to wipe down the package with a rubbing alcohol swab or to spray it with a disinfectant and let it sit for a few hours before opening it. Recycling to dispose of the cardboard box is greatly encouraged, followed by the thorough washing of hands.