Fresh, strange facts emerge about coronavirus

Scientists around the world are building up their knowledge about the coronavirus, as they frantically search for a cure and vaccine.

The virus, first reported in Wuhan, China last December, has killed over 300,000 people worldwide.

It has also infected over 4.5million people.

Everyday, scientists build up a dossier on the virus as they unlock new information.

Here are five strange facts now known about the virus:

1. Survives heat up to a point

The coronavirus can survive long exposure to high temperatures, according to a French study.

While the high temperatures significantly reduced the effectiveness of the coronavirus, it was still able to replicate, that is capable of starting another round of infection in its host.

However, when the coronavirus is heated at a temperature of 92 degrees Celsius for 15 minutes, it was completely deactivated.

2. Survives cold for long

The coronavirus can survive up to two years at below freezing temperatures, according to a medical expert from the Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi in the UAE.

“Research into similar coronavirus strains has shown that, in general, coronaviruses are stable in freezing temperatures and have been shown to survive for up to two years at -20 degrees Celsius,” explained Dr. Mohamad Mooty.

Mooty is the Department Chair, Infectious Diseases, Medical Subspecialty Institute, at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi.

3. Can live in the human eye

The coronavirus can live in a patient’s eye for days after it is no longer detected in the nose, according to a Chinese study.

4.Talking loudly spreads COVID-19 droplets in air

Fluid droplets ejected from people’s mouths when talking loudly in confined spaces could result in the coronavirus remaining in the air for up to 14 minutes, according to a US study.

Researchers have found that loud speech can emit thousands of oral fluid droplets per second.

5.Survives on certain surfaces

The coronavirus can survive three hours and up to several days on some surfaces, depending on the material, according to Cleveland clinic.

Glass: 5 days

Wood: 4 days

Plastic and stainless-steel: 3 days

Cardboard: 24 hours

Copper: 4 hours

*Culled from Alarabiya