How long does the HIV virus survive in the air?
Disease description:
Recently, I learned that a friend of mine has been diagnosed with HIV/AIDS. We previously worked in the same office, so I’d like to know: How long can the HIV virus survive in the air?
Doctor's answer (1)
Dr. Jiang Weimin
Under normal circumstances, if HIV remains in liquid form indoors or in the environment, it can survive for approximately 15 days. However, HIV cannot survive outside living cells; in dry environments, it remains viable for no more than one hour. HIV is not transmitted via airborne routes. Therefore, when the virus is not present in blood or other bodily fluids—but instead suspended in air—it rapidly becomes nonviable and essentially non-infectious.
