My boyfriend loved to visit the library on his lunch break from work, but hasn’t been back since all of this started. We found this article today, which details a huge research project around how long the virus lasts on circulating library items and their various bindings and packaging.
There have been 4 tests completed and a 5th test result is pending. I’m only just digging in: 3 days seems like an average, however the stacking of books/items seems to prolong the detection of the virus to 5 days (makes me wonder about the quarantining time for groceries that get stacked in the pantry), and I’m still not clear on exactly how they tested the interior book pages, which are in essence “stacked” inside the closed book (under Test 1). Still reading…
It looks like libraries are working hard to make the experience of checking out a book etc as safe as possible. Gives me hope to see the very transparent sharing out of these studies and their results.
Is testing like this being done in other areas like grocery item packaging and I’m just missing it? The most I’ve seen is the cardboard/hard surface/porous surface info that has been floating around that seems general and limited (and kind of vague to me).
How long the virus last is only half the issue. The more important question is how transmissible the virus is during that period.
Everything I’ve read so far says that surface transmission of the virus is at most extremely rare. Was there anything in this research contradicting that?
What I’m reading appears to be centered around determining quarantine length based on the date by which the virus is no longer detected on various surfaces and bindings. Nothing I‘ve read yet about how long infectious.
According to these test results it sounds like maybe your library may be going by the longest period it has been detected (5 days) and adding 2 days for good measure.
In all of these things it’s also worth noting that detecting bits of viral RNA is easy with current tech. Detecting that fully intact functional virus particles are present is much more difficult, expensive & time consuming. All the early scary reports about long viral dwell times on surfaces were really talking about fragments of viral RNA, not complete viral particles.
The next jump, as @Exapno_Mapcase says, is from detectable functional virus particles to quantifying an infectious quantity of those functional virus particles.
Even a pound of viral RNA is harmless if it’s just snips & bits. You can’t get bitten by the detached left front leg of a deceased spider either.
Our library recently changed their policy - I think they did away w/ late fees, and do auto renewals for material someone does not have a hold on. The end result (for me) has just been to confuse me, such that I no longer feel any sense of urgency to return checked out materials.
That won’t last very long. You’ll have to check out a librarian with the books. And they get hungry if you keep them out the full three weeks. Don’t you realize how much a bucket of library paste goes for?
(“Library paste” Wow, does that date me. Would a millennial have any idea what that was?)
My library quarantines returned items for seven days too. Also, you can only do curbside pickup and they’ve stopped assessing late fees. I still return books when I’m finished though.