Is It Safe to Buy Pre-loved Items During the COVID-19 Outbreak and What Can You Do Protect Yourself?

With more and more people getting infected, the coronavirus and necessary measures to be taken to avoid contamination are the most discussed topics nowadays. We are advised to wash and disinfect our hands upon arriving home and practice self-isolation, and the whole countries decide to temporary close their borders in order to stop the spread of the virus. Here is some information about the virus’ lifespan on different types of surfaces and useful recommendations on what to do if you want to purchase a new pre-loved bag in these difficult times.

What is the Coronavirus (COVID-19)?

Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses usually causing mild respiratory illness, such as cold. In some cases, they may lead to more serious diseases: last time coronaviruses became the reason for the development of the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS-CoV) in 2012, and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS-CoV) in 2003. The virus that causes COVID-19 is a new strain of coronavirus discovered in China. Usual symptoms include fever, cough and difficulty breathing that can develop into a viral infection pneumonia.

How is COVID-19 Spread?

There are two ways of coronavirus transmission: through air and by contact. Mainly the disease is transmitted by inhaling small droplets that are released when a person with COVID‑19 coughs or sneezes. For this reason, it is important to keep distance. These droplets also fall on the surrounding objects and surfaces and it is possible to get infected by first touching such objects or surfaces, and then touching your eyes, nose, or mouth. However, it is not considered the main way.

How Long Can the Coronavirus Survive on Clothing and Fabric? Factors Influencing the Virus’ Lifespan

According to a recent study by a group of scientists from the US National Institutes of Health and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention CDC, the coronavirus can remain viable:

• in the air – for three hours;
• on copper, which is commonly used as handbag hardware material – for four hours;
• on porous surfaces, such as carboard, clothing and leather – for up to 24 hours; 
• on non-porous surfaces, such as plastic and stainless steel – for up to three days.

A lot depends on natural factors: hot or dry air, as well as direct sunlight, are harmful to the coronavirus. Not everything is yet known about how long the coronavirus stay active on different types of materials, and scientists admit that more research is needed.

How high is the risk of being infected from a package?

Coronavirus cannot survive outside the body for a long time. If the carrier of the virus coughs or sneezes on an item that is then hermetically packed in a parcel, the life of the virus can be up to 48 hours in the most favorable conditions. However, the delivery time of parcels by international mail is much longer, so World Health Organization believe that parcels are completely safe, regardless of whether there was contact with them by a person infected with coronavirus or not. Therefore, most likely, if the parcel did not arrive the minute you ordered it, it shouldn’t pose any danger. 

Measures to Take if You Buy a New Pre-Loved Bag Locally

As studies show that it is possible to get the coronavirus if you touch something that has been used by an infected person, we advise you to take necessary precautions if you buy your pre-loved bag locally.

If you can, leave your new bag untouched for several days for the virus to die if the accessory has come into contact with an infected person.

If you want to use your bag straight after the purchase, try to disinfect it. According to the CDC, alcohol solutions that contain at least 70 percent alcohol are effective against coronavirus. However, we do not recommend you to apply alcohol solutions on quite delicate Vachetta leather and Louis Vuitton coated canvas as they can cause damage to the bag. Instead, you can use a soap solution, but be sure to thoroughly wipe it afterwards so that the material doesn’t deteriorate due to water exposure. You can find more information on how to safely clean your bag in our article on cleaning luxury handbags at home.

Or you can always order your bag from our Bagaholic online shop and it will arrive to you coronavirus-free!

Stay safe!

How do you protect your handbags from the virus? Share your experience in comments.

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