I'm really worried about how long HIV can live outside the body. Like, if someone with HIV accidentally gets a drop of blood on a chair or table, is it still dangerous if I touch that same spot after 30 minutes? Can the virus still be active?

Answered by 1 Apollo Doctors

Dr Ranjith Darla

General Practitioner

MBBS
3+ Yrs

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HIV survives outside the body for a short period: 15-30 minutes on a dry surface, up to 72 hours in a moist environment, but risk of transmission through casual contact is extremely low, and standard household cleaning and disinfection kill HIV.

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Answered 16 days ago

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I'm really worried about how long HIV can live outside the body. Like, if someone with HIV accidentally gets a drop of blood on a chair or table, is it still dangerous if I touch that same spot after 30 minutes? Can the virus still be active?

HIV survives outside the body for a short period: 15-30 minutes on a dry surface, up to 72 hours in a moist environment, but risk of transmission through casual contact is extremely low, and standard household cleaning and disinfection kill HIV.

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