Test 5 results
The studies were conducted by applying virulent SARS-CoV-2 on five materials held at standard room temperature (68°F to 75°F) and relative humidity conditions (30 to 50 percent). The materials in Test 5 included the following items: leather book cover; synthetic leather (expanded polyvinyl chloride) and 100% polyolefin fabric, both used in upholstery; 100% cotton fabric used in upholstery, toys, and costumes; and nylon webbing used as a crowd control barrier.
Results show that after eight days of quarantine, SARS-CoV-2 virus was still detected on leather and synthetic leather materials. For the polyolefin fabric and nylon webbing, only the amount of virus after the initial 1 hour of drying time could be measured. No data for the cotton fabric could be collected or reported.
Full results can be found at https://www.oclc.org/realm/research.html#test5.
Literature Review
Also available is a review of SARS-CoV-2 research published through mid-August 2020, which summarizes current research on how the virus spreads, its survival on materials and surfaces, and the effectiveness of various prevention and decontamination measures.
The literature review can be found here: https://www.oclc.org/realm/research/phase-2-systematic-literature-review.html.
Test 6 update
Finally, test 6 is underway. The materials being tested include marble, powder-coated steel, laminate, brass fixtures, and glass. Results are expected in mid-November.
Resources
Materials to help support the interpretation and use of REALM project resources include: REALM 101 (about COVID-19 and the project); a checklist for decision-making; and visual aids for comparing all results so far. They can be found at: https://www.oclc.org/realm/resources.html.