: Contagiousness and Survival of the Chlamydia trachomatis Bacterium How long does the bacteria Chlamydia trachomatis that causes the eyes infection Trachoma survive on a surface (eg. towel, sheets)? In which phases is the

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For the case I'm talking about this is the current situation:

Eye lashes turning? No, the patient is in the scarring phase (TS in picture below).
How long did the patient have it for? Hard to say but probably 4/6 months, not years.
After one week under treatment with Azithromycin antibiotic and Erythromycin eye ointment the patient isn't getting worse but isn't getting better either.
The patient is negative to Chlamydia test

The patient's doctor (in the US) confirmed that:

The patient is contagious until the swelling goes away and no follicles have swelling in the eyelids. It can only be spread if the patient touches her eye and touches something and someone else touches it and it reaches his/her mucoses.
What is the worst possible scenario of the patient's vision loss? Or contact
wearing?
The patient could have partial vision loss in her old age due to the scars ruining the surface of the eye. May not be able to wear contacts again. Will have to evaluate when the patient is healed. The scarring is permanent and may cause irritation using contacts.
How long does trachoma live on inanimate objects?
Not sure. Not enough research (PS. see update below).
If children touch the patient (the patient likely got the disease from her students coming from countries at risk of Trachoma), she should just wash her hands immediately.
What can the patient do in the future to reduce chances of getting trachoma again?
Good hand washing.
Can the patient be around people?
Yes, the patient should avoid to hold babies or touch children and make sure not to touch her face without washing her hands.
Why is the patient getting headaches?
The patient strains her eyes during the day to see, because of the medication and inflammation.

Image source

UPDATE:

According to this source "The life cycle of Chlamydia trachomatis is approximately 48–72 hours. It requires that the bacteria live within a host cell and that they survive by replication those results in death of the cell."

UPDATE 2:
Received an answer from trachomacoalition@gmail.com:

Chlamydia trachomatis survives ? 30 minutes on a dry surface (e.g.
glass) and up to 2-3 hours under humid conditions.

Trachoma is contagious in the active, inflammatory phase
(TF/TI).