Recent lab studies carried out by the agency at the U.S. Army’s biosecurity laboratory at Fort Detrick, Md.
"This finding applied to the virus in contact with nonporous surfaces such as door handles.
Adding in sunlight, the virus’s half-life decreases from six hours to two minutes at temperatures from 70 to 75 degrees and humidity of 80 percent. “That’s how much of an impact UV rays has on the virus,” Bryan said.
The laboratory experiment also tested how the virus decays when exposed to various elements while suspended in the air.
When the airborne virus at temperatures between 70 and 75 degrees is exposed to sunlight, its half-life decreases from around 60 minutes before exposure to 1.5 minutes after.
Bryan summarized: “Within the conditions we’ve tested to date, the virus in droplets of saliva survives best in indoors and dry conditions. …
The virus dies quickest in the presence of direct sunlight.”
White House promotes new lab results suggesting heat and sunlight slow coronavirus