SARS Virus Dies Earlier When Heat's On

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Tuesday, June 03, 2003

SARS Virus Dies Earlier When Heat's On

The virus of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) can live for up to 15 days without the human body, Chinese scientists have discovered.

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The virus of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) can live for up to 15 days without the human body, Chinese scientists have discovered.

According to Tuesday's China Daily, the Key Science and Technology Group under the National Task Force for SARS Control and Prevention revealed that the virus can exist in temperatures of 24 degrees Celsius for five days in patients' saliva, mucus andexcrement, 10 days in urine and 15 days in blood.

It can live indoors for three days on paper, cotton cloth, wood, metal, plastic and glass surfaces and in soil.

Experiments by the group indicate that the lifespan of SARS reduces as temperatures rise. In normal conditions, the virus can exist for four days if temperatures are less than 37 degrees Celsius, 90 minutes at under 56 degrees Celsius and 30 minutes at under 75 degrees Celsius.

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