“No evidence of coronavirus on Tube,” Imperial College study finds

By Jessie Matthewson

There is no evidence of Covid-19 on the Tube network, an Imperial College study has suggested.

While coronavirus is often passed directly from person to person, it can also be picked up from contaminated surfaces – with busy spaces like the Underground a particular problem.

But 24 samples collected by scientists at Vauxhall, Pimlico and Victoria stations last month were all negative.

Researchers tested touch points at the stations and in the air as part of a bigger project of bacteria and fungi in cities internationally – and Transport for London (TfL) is now considering further research.

The length of time the virus can survive on a surface varies according to light, temperature and humidity, according to Public Health England.

The risk is likely to have fallen sharply within 24 hours – and much further within two days.

But during the pandemic, TfL has introduced a more intensive cleaning regime, using the same virus-killing spray as in hospitals, which provides up to a month of protection.