The dirt on phone hygiene
Phone hygiene.
It’s not a topic that has been top of mind.
The fact is that we were talking about how dirty our phones were long before the current pandemic situation we are in. If you think about your own phone use, if you pay attention, you probably realize how many dozens of times you touch your phone daily.
Now think about your hand hygiene. Chances are that these days you are either washing your hands or using hand sanitizer multiple times a day. We frequently sanitize our hands, and then touch the very device that can transfer germs and viruses back to our hands.
While the COVID-19 virus is still new, and studies are still being done, early evidence shows that the virus can live on objects and surfaces from a few hours to a few days.
Touching a surface like the screen or case on a phone can transfer bacteria and viruses back to your clean hands, and then if you touch your nose, mouth or eyes, has the potential to transfer a virus into your system.
What is living on my phone?
Outside of COVID-19, there are many highly contagious diseases that can be carried on the surface of your phone. These include:
- Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)
- Escherichia coli (E-coli)
- Influenza (the common flu)
- Clostridium difficile (C. diff)
- Streptococcus
Our phones are the perfect petri dishes for these bacteria and germs, as they are warm, and we typically keep them in warm places (our pockets for example).
Why does this matter?
If we think about cleanliness of all surfaces these days, including our phones, it is important to keep them clean of these more ‘run of the mill’ bacteria as well. In all likelihood, until we have a viable vaccine or effective widely available treatments for COVID-19, there will be more waves of the virus. How big those waves are and how long those waves last remain to be seen.
Staying healthy overall is key to managing your own ability to weather the current pandemic. It is also critical as we look at capacity of the healthcare system, and avoiding overloading it with cases of other preventable illnesses that take focus away from COVID-19 care.
Especially as we enter the Fall, and the traditional flu season, this will be ever more important.
What can I do about it?
As a business owner, you can be looking at ways to prevent every possible vector of disease in your establishment. Standard protocols and guidelines are being rolled out. Information about COVID-19 and how it is transmitted is constantly being updated. Investing in innovative, effective sanitization approaches and tools tells your guests, customers, and employees that you are going above and beyond to ensure their safety. Glissner is here to help.
