They have become an extension of our bodies. Behind every laugh, every song, every lunch, every gesture, every trip, every conversation is: our phones. They accompany us in everything we do and we get used to it without even realizing it. But let’s stop and think about it with a piece of information: We estimate that we touch these devices an average of 2,617 times per day, which means there are 2,617 opportunities for bacteria to spread to our hands and skin. In that sense, how does this close contact affect our health?
“Mobile phones are a source of microbes, good and bad, that we are exposed to when we touch the screen,” said José Ramos Vivas, a professor and researcher in microbiology at Atlantic European University. The expert went on to say that, in general, Bacteria we encounter every day ‘should not worry us because they are the ones that normally live on our skin’. Basically, we pass them from our skin to the screen, and from the screen to our skin. ”
but, What kind of bacteria can we find in these devices? Ramos replied that two species of so-called staphylococci were the most common. “Coagulase has a positive side and a negative side. To give us an idea, some are called Staphylococcus aureus, etc., epidermis. As you can guess from the word, they are common residents of our skin”, details the expert.
The hospital, the environment is worrying
Our focus so far has been on bacteria living on the phones of the general population, which in principle pose no risk to our health. In fact, The problem is that these electronic devices can contain germs in a hospital setting.
In response, Ramos warned that what circulates in hospitals is not the same as what circulates on the street: “They are resistant to antibiotics and some species can cause serious infections’. Specifically, the microbiologists noted that some of the bacterial genera that were frequently present at these sites were Acinetobacter wave Klebsiellapathogens that cause skin infections, pneumonia or meningitis, etc.
“They are hospital bacteria and are more exposed to antibiotics. Therefore, it is normal for them to develop resistance to some or more antibiotics used in hospitals.” Ramos said, reminding that those with immune system problems, the elderly And children should be especially careful.
recently published in journal of travel medicine and infectious disease Be alert to the public health problems caused by mobile phone pollution in medical institutions.To that end, the report’s authors are asking governments around the world to Take steps to make people aware of the importance of sanitizing their equipment. In this sense, they recall that the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) started such campaigns for the Covid-19 pandemic, “but there is a need to present them more broadly to account for any pathogenic microorganisms”.
How to Disinfect Your Phone
Even though, as mentioned earlier, most of the germs we live with every day are installed in our phones, hygiene never hurts. Ramos recommends following these guidelines:
- Wash your hands well.
- Avoid taking your phone to the bathroom.
- Use a screen protector with antimicrobial capabilities. “This tool is useful so that microbes don’t stick to the screen,” the expert said.
- From time to time, use a small cotton pad dampened with ethanol (ethyl alcohol) to wipe down the phone screen. This way, Ramos promises, “at least 75 percent of the bacteria” can be eliminated.