How long can viruses and bacteria survive on surfaces?!
Question: outside the body
Answers: outside the body
Some bacteria and viruses can live for many years in very harsh environments that would kill human beings. In fact, some scientists believe that life on Earth (as well as other planets) may have come from bacteria on meteorites.
Most germs die in about 2-3 hours if they're on a hard, dry surface. They can survive substantially longer, though if they're on a warm, moist surface, such as a wet towel or toothbrush.
The actual amount of time any given virus or bacteria can survive outside a body really does vary depending on the organism and the surface- so it can be anytime between less than a minute to 2 days.
Hope that helped!