Quincy News: Clean Your Phone

Down and dirty?
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– News covered by Quincy Quarry News with healthcare commentary added.

Clean Your Phone – IMMEDIATELY!

How dirty is your smartphone?

Dirtier than you might think, if not way dirtier.

What’s that crawling on my screen?
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We touch our phones some 2,617 times a day and take them with us everywhere: bathrooms, gyms, subways, and buses.

In turn, the risks factors so multiple, if not exponentially. For example, flu viruses that are capable of infecting others, for instance, can last on hard surfaces for as long as 24 hours, according to one study.

In turn, this means anyone who touches your phone in that time could be vulnerable.

Kids watching video on a smartphone
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Additionally, “foot and mouth disease is very rampant in small children at nursery school-age, too,” says Dr. Peter Papadakos, the director of clinical care at the University of Rochester Medical Center. “More and more, in daycare centers and nursery schools, people use smart screens to entertain the kids and that screen is passed amongst the kids who are touching their nose, mouth, and the screen – and infection can spread amongst all the children.”

Related story: The Self Check-in Screen is the Most Germ-Infested Part of the Airport

UV cleaner and charging device
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Fortunately, there are cleaning options, ranging from using a simple 50/50 mix of water and cleaning alcohol to high-tech ultra vilolet light disinfection devices both Felix Ungers and Mr. Gadgets will surely love.

Additionally, public use UV disinfection units are becoming more common in public restrooms and elsewhere.