The viral life cycle is dependent on a host cell. A virus is not able to replicate on its own or use "raw" materials on which to survive. A virus will remain dormant until it is able to infect the next host, activate and replicate. Some viruses can live in an open place for a short time, in some cases, only a few hours. Viruses use the most efficient method to locate a host, create copies, and spread to other hosts.