Coronavirus Outbreak: Experts Reveal The Virus Can Last On Rubber, Leather Based Soles Of Shoes For 5-Days

The coronavirus pandemic and the number of increasing cases have left people uncertain as to when all of this would end. Ever since people have started taking the deadly virus seriously, there has been a lot of information about COVID-19, as to how it spreads, what you can and can’t do. Some of those are even unverified and misleading and have left people scared. As for how the coronavirus spreads, it happens person-to-person through respiratory droplets, which is why people have been advised to constantly wash their hands for 20 seconds and avoid touching their face.

However, there is also evidence that the virus can survive on non-human surfaces such as doorknobs, shopping carts, cardboard etc. Now, the Huffington Post UK has reported that coronavirus can survive on shoes. Infectious disease specialist Mary E. Schmidt warned that the virus could survive on rubber, leather-based soles for five days or even more. The report also suggested that people wear machine-washable shoes at such times. Apart from the sole, the report also stated that the pathogens can remain for days on the upper part of the shoes as well.

Emergency physician Cwanza Pinckney told Huffington Post, “The sole of the shoe is the breeding ground of more bacteria and fungi and viruses than the upper part of a shoe.” However, can it spread from the shoes to our homes?

Public health specialist Carol Winner said “There is no evidence to say that the coronavirus comes into the house from shoes. Pragmatically, they are on the body part furthest from our face, and we do know that the greatest risk of transmission is person to person, not shoe to person.” Even so, she suggests taking shoes off before entering your house is the smart thing to do.