How long can a virus survive off the body? Someone touches a cold sore and touches ex. (your bike).
2006-08-09 12:10:45 · 4 answers · asked by arjunfunkyman 1 in Health ➔ Diseases & Conditions ➔ Skin Conditions
The durability of a virus outside a living host varies depending on the kind of virus.
HIV can survive out in the open for less than a minute. It's remarkably fragile -- it'll dry up and die quickly in a hostile enviroment.
Hepatitis B virus can survive out on a hostile surface for up to a WEEK. It is also 100 times more infectious than HIV and spread in the same manner.
Those are extreme examples, but I think they make my point.
2006-08-09 12:52:36 · answer #1 · answered by Gumdrop Girl 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
A virus can live in your body as long as you're alive. One example could be HIV. This is an extreme example though. Some viruses stay in the body for weeks or months, depending on which virus you are affected of.
2006-08-09 12:16:03 · answer #2 · answered by bloake 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I've heard anywhere from a few hours to 72 hours or even more. It all depends on how much moisture there is for it to stay in, the environment it is exposed to, etc. There are so many factors that change how long it is there.
2006-08-09 12:15:31 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
probably not long seeing how it needs the body to survive. it would probably die in the air unless its airborne then it would transfer to another body
2006-08-09 12:15:32 · answer #4 · answered by ? 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋