Can a mobile phone or case purchased on aliexpress contain coronavirus?

Half Europe and practically half the world has stopped due to the coronavirus. Although China is the country with the highest number of cases, stores such as AliExpress and AliBaba continue to provide their services. At the moment it seems that the restrictions have not affected the shipping times of packages with Chinese origin.

Precisely for this reason dozens of users wonder on Twitter and other social networks if the disease can be spread through a package. Some even wonder if mobile phones and covers can spread the coronavirus. Is there any truth to these statements? Or, on the contrary, do they pose no health risk? We see it below.

How long can the coronavirus survive on a surface?

Public bodies are clear about the transmission of the coronavirus. The Ministry of Health has confirmed that the spread of the virus occurs through specks of saliva and fluids in general that come from an infected organism. The probability of contagion depends precisely on the amount of fluids spread through the air or through a solid surface.

On this basis, some private studies have defined the maximum period of permanence of the coronavirus in different media. According to studies by the National Institute of Health in Hamilton, in the state of Montana, the virus has a maximum survival period of 3 hours in air. Outside of this medium, the prevalence of the virus is 4 hours in copper and up to a whole day in cardboard. On surfaces made of stainless steel and plastic, the prevalence is 2 to 3 days.

The study states that the contraction of the coronavirus through contact with an affected surface is likely, although it does not refer to any everyday object.

So can an AliExpress package contain coronavirus?

Taking into account that the average estimate for packages from China is 15 to 30 days, the risk of contagion is practically zero. In fact, the package is more likely to be contaminated upon arrival at the postal services of the destination country, either when transporting the package to the address indicated or at the time of delivery.

That is to say that the contagion will be limited to the surface of the package in question. The coating that surrounds the mobile phone should not suffer any kind of contagion, unless it is opened by the customs service on arrival at the airport.

Tips for cleaning a package and avoiding contracting the virus

The advisable thing to avoid any source of contagion is to interact with the package through latex gloves. After having removed the packaging that surrounds the product in question, it is recommended to proceed with the maximum possible care.

If the material is exposed, we will have to apply slight movements with a cloth moistened with 97º alcohol, ensuring that the article does not come into contact with any garment or surface of the home. After finishing the cleaning task, it is recommended to wash the suede at high temperatures and carry out a preventive hand wash, preferably with a disinfectant solution. We can also choose a solution consisting of water, alcohol and soap.

This same process is applicable to any device that is in continuous contact with our hands. It is advisable to carry out at least one cleaning every time we leave our home as long as we have made sure that none of the residents is infected by the virus.