A: As highlighted in this NPR article, after CDC recently re-arranged some content on their website, there was confusion over whether contact with surfaces contaminated with the virus was still considered a possible mode of transmission.
CDC has since provided an update clarifying that while person-to-person transmission via droplets continues to be considered the predominant way that coronavirus is spread, the possibility of transmission via surfaces, albeit not considered the main mode by which individuals get infected, hasn’t changed.
The CDC website has also been revised once again to reflect this update.
Bottom line: While still not thought to be the major form of transmission, the possibility that individuals can get infected with coronavirus by touching a contaminated surface and then touching their nose, mouth or eyes has not changed, and CDC recommendations for protecting yourself and others also remain the same.
*EDITED TO REFLECT RECENT CDC UPDATE
