Decontaminating Purchased Coins During Covid-19 Situation

So I need to get a box of cents,lay out all 2500 coins for a few hours. Then go outside and flip 2500 coins over and wait a few hours more,do I have that correct?
John1

From what I know from the New England Journal of medicine. A new analysis found that the virus can remain viable in the air for up to 3 hours, on copper for up to 4 hours, on cardboard up to 24 hours and on plastic and stainless steel up to 72 hours.
What's more, SARS-CoV-2 RNA was found on "a variety of surfaces" in cabins of both symptomatic and asymptomatic people who were infected with COVID-19 on the Diamond Princess cruise ship, up to 17 days after the passengers disembarked. However, this was before disinfection procedures took place and "data cannot be used to determine whether transmission occurred from contaminated surfaces," according to the analysis. In other words, it's not clear if the viral particles on these surfaces could have infected people.

For me, I'd just bag and quarantine the package for a month to be as safe as could be and also not risk damaging the coins with temp changes or chemicals. or just stop buying coins in general until the threats been mitigated.

So, I think, if you wanted to be really safe, bag the package when you get it, and tie it off and stick it somewhere for like a month, and the virus should be inactive in 30 days and totally ineffective, then you can open it. I would not go crazy with cleaning solutions or high or low temps all of which could affect the surfaces of the coins. just time should really do the trick, and if you want to look at it early and be extra safe, wear gloves, goggles and a P100 respirator, and open it outside to inspect it and bag it outside and then bring it in to let it sit for a month in quarantine before opening it again.

it depends on how much worry and risk you have with this virus really. easiest and safest solution is to stop buying coins until you are safe from it and not take any risk at all.

This is going to be a concern for a good while, the rest of this year, probably next year also, I don't think we can all really avoid it completely the way it's going and there's just as much risk of the virus coming from a coin you bought off ebay as it is from a can of lysol or a package of masks or the box it comes in that you bought off Amazon at the end of the day. it only really matters how much risk you deem acceptable for what you want.

That is interesting. Have they extended the due dates accordingly?

As stated above , the risk of covid from coins/packages books is so small that's it's practically nil (I'm not an disease specialist so take the opinion as just my own google searches and articles read). The only documented case that I found of getting covid from objects was of a lady in church that stayed for at least 2 hours reading, praying and singing. Another church member sat in the same place next service and developed covid. There have been no documented cases of getting covid from an item mailed or picked up at a supermarket or store. In another article written by a microbiologist one needs both a large exposure and a long term exposure to actually get covid. Walking without a mask outside and passing by someone that has covid will likely not give you covid. Being inside a restaurant where the person in another table has covid and being next to that person for an hour or more you may pick up enough viral load to get.

Now there have also been many cases in which people in the same household have been together for hours and one has covid and 50% of the faamily members don't get it. I have a personal friend that he got it and so did his son but his sons girlfriend, his wife and daughter didn't get it. No precautions were taken as he didn't know he had it. So there is probably some immunity already from exposure to other sars type virus.

What my long winded post is trying to say, is that the probability of getting covid from things is minuscule to none. So just enjoy your coins.

I handle cash/coins every day. I don't really take much precaution because I'm healthy and try to keep a strong immune system through diet, exercise and vitamin supplements. Already had the virus months ago, like many, and had mild cold-like symptoms.

Wash your hands, wear a mask, stand two metres apart.

Covid-19 lives for variable periods of time, depending on the material surface. The main problem is the durability of the virus in dampness, for example in mucus from a sneeze. If packages of coins are allowed to stand for some time, any virus on or in the package will be killed. Search "How long does Covid-19 live on a dry surface" for more information. By the time the mail arrives, the contents should be OK to handle. Various hands have been in contact with the outside of the package, so wash your hands before removing the wrapper, and wait a few days before opening if you are worried. Hand washing and getting out of the habit of touching your face are the best ways to avoid "touch-transmission". The mask is to protect other people from your sneezes.

If over 70 with health conditions take precautions, just like you should with the flu bug.