Hi friends
As you know, the Coronavirus has invaded the whole world.
How to disinfect purchased seeds?

Can I use sodium hypochlorite or alcohol?

Maybe wait two weeks before touching the seeds if worried. Longe st i heard that it stays on a surface is like 9 days.

I would imagine that the seeds would be unaffected in the envelopes because they were grown and packaged before the virus was even known.
As for more recent issues, if they were shipped since the outbreak, I would think that a wipe down of the envelope would be enough precaution.
But I see where your from and there was a much more serious outbreak there so I would be more concerned if the seeds were locally obtained. You are best equipped to know where these seeds came from. Common sense rules.

Are you concerned that the virus will infect and damage the seeds or that the seeds will transfer the virus to you when handled?

WillC said:Are you concerned that the virus will infect and damage the seeds or that the seeds will transfer the virus to you when handled?

transfer the virus to me when handled

I think that you have much less to fear from seeds then from the people around you. I would be more concerned about them.

Where have these seeds come from. If from a neighbor, friend or family member, throw them out!
If they come from a company like Burpee here in the states, they were packaged before the virus escaped. I would not hesitate using them.
I personally just planted Salvia seeds who at worse were harvested here in the states late last summer. There is no chance that a virus that popped up in Wuhan Province last October affected those seeds. If the seeds I planted were harvested in June, that is even better.
Just consider the source.

It's unlikely that you will pick it up off the seeds (even if they do have traces on it) as long as you don't have any open wounds on your hands and your wash your hands thoroughly immediately afterwards. The main cause of infection due to contact is because people touch their faces (eyes, nose, mouth) with their hands and that provides the virus an entry point into the body.

Alternatively, you can wear gloves. Many seeds will also survive being soaked in a dilute bleach solution (I don't know the required time precisely, but it's on the order of 10 minutes or less) and this would kill the virus.

The only lab study I know of so far has shown that it survives up to 3 days on hard surfaces like steel or plastic and 24 hours on cardboard (so paper would be the same).

The 9 day estimate came from a study of the other known coronaviruses and so was a 'best guess' based on the available data until the lab study was done.

That is extremely unlikely to be an issue. The container they came in is more likely to be contaminated and that can be wiped clean. Corona does not survive for very long in open air or in sunlight. As Bill has pointed out, other people are a much greater risk than objects.