How long can a germ last outside the body? It depends. Tune in to this podcast from HowStuffWorks.com to find out how different germs fare outside the body.
Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Episode Transcript
Welcome to brain Stuff from how Stuff Works dot com
where smart Happens. I am Marshall Brain with today's question,
how long can a germ live in a room? The
length of time a germ remains infectious depends mostly on
the type of german is. A germ can be either
a virus or a bacterium, and each virus and bacterium
(00:23):
has a different behavior in the environment. For example, the
smallpox virus is incredibly durable. It can last for years.
Anthrax is the same way. Fortunately, smallpox has been eradicated
and anthrax is not very infectious. The AIDS virus is fragile.
It's only viable for a few hours. Hepatitis B, on
(00:45):
the other hand, may survive for up to a week.
Some diseases can't survive outside the human body at all.
Syphilis and got a rea share this trait, and therefore
they depend on intimate contact for transmission. Quite a few
common diseases seem to fall into the several days to
several weeks category for survival time outside the human body.
(01:08):
So the answer to the question is it depends on
the disease. Fortunately, your immune system is able to handle
the vast majority of bacteria and viruses that your body encounters.
Just About everything we touch is covered with germs. They
usually have no effect on us because our immune systems
deal with them. Also fortunate is the fact that simple
(01:31):
hygiene steps like washing your hands thoroughly before eating, can
reduce the chance of infection significantly. Do you have any
ideas or suggestions for this podcast? If so, please send
me an email at podcast at how stuff works dot com.
For more on this and thousands of other topics, go
to how stuff works dot com.
BrainStuff News
Host
Lauren Vogelbaum
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Ruthie's Table 4
For more than 30 years The River Cafe in London, has been the home-from-home of artists, architects, designers, actors, collectors, writers, activists, and politicians. Michael Caine, Glenn Close, JJ Abrams, Steve McQueen, Victoria and David Beckham, and Lily Allen, are just some of the people who love to call The River Cafe home. On River Cafe Table 4, Rogers sits down with her customers—who have become friends—to talk about food memories. Table 4 explores how food impacts every aspect of our lives. “Foods is politics, food is cultural, food is how you express love, food is about your heritage, it defines who you and who you want to be,” says Rogers. Each week, Rogers invites her guest to reminisce about family suppers and first dates, what they cook, how they eat when performing, the restaurants they choose, and what food they seek when they need comfort. And to punctuate each episode of Table 4, guests such as Ralph Fiennes, Emily Blunt, and Alfonso Cuarón, read their favourite recipe from one of the best-selling River Cafe cookbooks. Table 4 itself, is situated near The River Cafe’s open kitchen, close to the bright pink wood-fired oven and next to the glossy yellow pass, where Ruthie oversees the restaurant. You are invited to take a seat at this intimate table and join the conversation. For more information, recipes, and ingredients, go to https://shoptherivercafe.co.uk/ Web: https://rivercafe.co.uk/ Instagram: www.instagram.com/therivercafelondon/ Facebook: https://en-gb.facebook.com/therivercafelondon/ For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the iheartradio app, apple podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com