Mobile Phones are tech devices that are ‘pocket’ devices. Can phones infect users? Are mobile phones a breeding ground for germs? Are they bad for our health?
The answer is that mobile phones have 10 times more bacteria than a toilet, and yes, they can affect our health and yes, our phones carry bacteria. Mobile phones have become veritable reservoirs of pathogens as they touch faces, ears, lips and hands of different users of different health conditions.
Mobile phones can cause skin, ear and respiratory tract infections in susceptible individuals. They may also exacerbate pre-existing skin conditions such as acne, rosacea and dermatitis.
Two hundred and twenty hand and mobile phone swabs were collected from the students of four different colleges in a Jordanian university between October and December 2017. Eight bacterial species were isolated and identified. These were Staphylococcus epidermidis, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Streptococcus pyogenes, Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus faecalis, Bacillus cereus, Micrococcus spp. and Escherichia coli. The percentage of isolated bacteria was 54.5%, 25.5%, 14.5% and 5.5%, many of the strains identified highly resistant to the most common antibiotics.
The other measures we can take is to restrict our mobile phone use when not required. For example when we are at a café with friends, leave it in your pocket, or handbag, don’t place it on the table that you are eating from. This goes for meal times with the family as well.
Don’t scroll on public transport after touching rails and areas where others have touched. Don’t take it to bed with you.
So, I encourage you to be vigilant in your hand washing and sanitising and also to extend this sanitisation to your mobile device.
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References:
Al Momani, W., Khatatbeh, M., & Altaany, Z. (2019). Antibiotic susceptibility of bacterial pathogens recovered from the hand and mobile phones of university students. Germs, 9(1), 9-16. doi:10.18683/germs.2019.1152
Bhardwaj, N., Khatri, M., Bhardwaj, S. K., Sonne, C., Deep, A., & Kim, K. H. (2020). A review on mobile phones as bacterial reservoirs in healthcare environments and potential device decontamination approaches. Environ Res, 186, 109569. doi:10.1016/j.envres.2020.109569
Kirkby, S., & Biggs, C. (2016). Cell Phones in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit: How to Eliminate Unwanted Germs. Adv Neonatal Care, 16(6), 404-409. doi:10.1097/anc.0000000000000328
Kõljalg, S., Mändar, R., Sõber, T., Rööp, T., & Mändar, R. (2017). High level bacterial contamination of secondary school students’ mobile phones. Germs, 7(2), 73-77. doi:10.18683/germs.2017.1111
Martina, P. F., Martinez, M., Centeno, C. K., M, V. O. N. S., & Ferreras, J. (2019). Dangerous passengers: multidrug-resistant bacteria on hands and mobile phones. J Prev Med Hyg, 60(4), E293-e299. doi:10.15167/2421-4248/jpmh2019.60.4.1283
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The information contained in this video is for general audience and is based on current researched evidence. Any specific advice can be obtained from a consultation with your General Practitioner (GP).
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