A closer look
Rhinoviruses, which are responsible for the common cold, can survive on hard indoor surfaces like doorknobs and elevator buttons for up to seven full days. These insidious microscopic pathogens patiently lie in wait on stainless steel and plastic, remaining highly infectious long after the sick person who coughed on them has left the building. Unlike bacteria, viruses cannot multiply outside a host, so they just loiter on public transit poles like invisible biological landmines. This horrifying timeline of microbial survival perfectly explains why your absolute refusal to use hand sanitizer after touching an office microwave usually results in a week of aggressive nasal congestion and profound self-pity
