DETROIT Does the coronavirus (COVID-19) typically spread by touching surfaces, or is it just person-to-person contact? Health officials clarified the main way the virus spreads after modifying their stance. The SARS-CoV-2 virus and COVID-19 infection are primarily respiratory problems, but when someone coughs or sneezes, infected droplets are expelled and land on nearby surfaces. If someone touches those surfaces, the virus can be picked up on hands and infect someone who then touches their face. Person-to-person spread has always been considered the main way the virus spreads.