Since a lipid membrane is present only in enveloped viruses, the effect of surfactant on non-enveloped viruses is much weaker than on enveloped viruses [67]. Interestingly, we observed less decay of MS2 in droplets containing SDS compared to those without, suggesting a protective effect of SDS on the survival of non-enveloped viruses in droplets. Surfactants could protect viruses in a similar manner as proteins. Surfactants are known to strongly affect the surface tension of solutions, especially when the surfactant concentration is below the critical micelle concentration, beyond which micelles start to form and the surface tension of solutions remains relatively constant. Since the concentration of SDS examined in our study is much lower than its critical micelle concentration (8.2 mM), the presence of SDS in droplets could affect the surface tension and protect viruses from decay by hampering their ability to reach the air-water interface.