REALM Project: COVID Virus Undetectable on Five Highly Circulated Library Materials After Three Days

Research conducted as part of the  REopening Archives, Libraries, and Museums (REALM) Project shows that the virus SARS-CoV-2 that causes COVID-19 is not detectable on five common library materials after three days:

"Over the past few weeks, scientists at Battelle tested the virus on a variety of surfaces, in environments with standard temperature and relative humidity conditions typically found in air-conditioned office space. Materials tested in phase one included the cover of hardcover books (buckram cloth), the cover of softback books, plain paper pages inside a closed book, mylar protective book cover jackets, and plastic DVD cases. Battelle tests found the virus undetectable after one day on the covers of hardback and softback books as well as the DVD case. The virus was undetectable on the paper inside of a book and mylar book jackets after three days."

REALM is a collaboration between OCLC, an international library services cooperative, the US government agency Institute of Museum and Library Services, and Battelle, an R&D organization.