CDC: Contaminated surfaces aren’t a big risk

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The coronavirus primarily spreads from person to person and not easily from a contaminated surface. That is the takeaway from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which this month updated its “How COVID-19 Spreads” website.

The revised guidance now states, in headline-size type, “The virus spreads easily between people.” It also notes that the coronavirus, which causes the disease covid-19, “is spreading very easily and sustainably between people.”

The CDC made another key change to its website, clarifying what sources are not major risks. Under the new heading “The virus does not spread easily in other ways,” the agency explains that touching contaminated objects or surfaces does not appear to be a significant mode of transmission.

The same is true for exposure to infected animals. CDC spokeswoman Kristen Nordlund said Thursday that the revisions were the product of an internal review and “usability testing.” “Our transmission language has not changed,” Nordlund said. “Covid-19 spreads mainly through close contact from person to person.”

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