It's impossible to contract Covid from steel, says study HEALTH & SCIENCE The findings show that the new variants of the coronavirus do not survive for more than three hours. [Courtesy] It is virtually impossible to contract Covid-19 if you come into contact with stainless steel contaminated with the virus and its variants, new research findings show. The findings show that the new variants of the coronavirus do not survive for more than three hours on stainless steel surfaces. This allays fears that the new variants are more transmissible than the primary (predecessor) virus. The new variants are B.1.17 and B.1.351 while the predecessor used in the study is EPI_ISL_407073, the variation of the primary (original) virus found in England.