According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), viruses spread when a person touches something that is contaminated with a virus and then he/she touches his/her eyes, nose, or mouth. Droplets from a cough or sneeze of an infected person move through the air and land on surfaces such as desks, keyboards, door knobs, tables, art supplies, gym equipment, etc. Influenza viruses may survive for 2-8 hours on these surfaces, thus contact with them and then touching one's mouth, nose, or eyes could lead to infection and spread of the virus. This is why it is so important to wash hands frequently.
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