Posted By Paul Leadbetter Mike While I can readily appreciate how 'phones can become contaminated with micro-organisms, the skin contact risk is, presumably, no worse than any other surface. Although a 'phone can be covered in respiratory pathogens if it has been coughed on, I can't see how they would be re-inhaled to pass on the infection. Paul

Posted By Frank Hallett Hi Mike This topic was discussed on this Forum recently. If you do a search you should find the thread. My opinion - you need a suitable hygiene procedure; but see comments on earlier thread first. Frank Hallett

Posted By Paul Devlin Ewwww shame on you Fornhelper. Theres has been studies done into this and it showed that there were more germs on a computer keyboard than you would find on a toilet seat. The company are right there should be a process for sanitising both phones and keyboards and these may include a general antiseptic wipe/cleaner for every day use and a proper "sanitising" 6 monthly or so.

Posted By Helen Horton Having seen a TV programme recently about a potential 'flu epidemic I think 'phones and keyboards could be a real risk. According to this prog the method of transmission goes like this - you sneeze or cough on the 'phone or keyboard - someone else uses it and picks up the virus on their hands, they then touch their face, the area around the eyes is particularly a risk point, and the virus finds it way into a mucous membrane and hey-presto another coughing, sneezing victim. People are very mucky things and anything that can help to stop the spread of the nasties has to be a good thing -think about hospitals and the all the business of keeping them clean. So I would consider a sanitisation service but get a bunch of quotes first!

Posted By Chris Packham Most flu etc. is spread by airbone exposure and inhalation. I doubt whether ingesting the minute amount of bacteria or viruses present in viable form on a phone would represent a significant route of transmission. Yes, there was a study that showed more bacteria on your desk that on the toilet seat. However: (a) it did not differentiate between harmful and harmless bacteria and (b)I could not find any evidence that this represented a significant hazard to health. If you are worried about bacteria, remember that there are more of them in your mouth than people on this planet! There are bound to be bacteria on your desk. Your skin is shedding skin cells, and with it bacteria, the whole time. Most of these are harmless to you and everyone else. Not sure about the e-coli on the toilet seat though! I see the old "door knob" chesnut has come up again. This is frequently raised when I talk about hand hygiene and toilet use on our skin management courses. The view starts off as: "We wash our hands after using the toilet, then contaminate them by touching the door handle." Question: What is the first thing you do having used the toilet? Wash your hands? Not unless you walk to the washbasin with your trousers/knickers around your ankles! Most people adjust their dress (nice absorbent material, in contact with the skin in a relatively warm, moist environment, ideal for bacteria!) Someone show me where this has been a cause of cross infection, cos I can't find anything.

Posted By John Murgatroyd http://www.cellular-news.com/story/16048.php http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/759240.stm It's much more likely that you'll contract an infection by using public transport though....

Posted By J Knight Eeyup, As far as I know the door-knob thing isn't a chestnut, and neither is the idea that clothes help to transmit infections. Note that I mentioned door-knobs in connection with colds and flu; neither virus is especially connected with toilets. Nor is the bacterium Stahpylococcus aureus, which causes the odd spot of bother in hospitals and is definitely carried on clothes and hands, as BTW is Clostridium difficile. This is why hospitals are awash with alcohol nowadays; sadly not ethanol though, but usually propanol or some variant in gel rubs. All of the above pathogens could be present on phones and keyboards, I have no doubt; but I suppose my point in mentioning the door-knobs is 'Where do you stop'? John

Posted By Chris Packham Just a couple of points in response to John's comments. 1. Staphylococcus is carried in the nasal passages of many of us and breathed out. This is why the front of your jacket or shirt will glow happily with lots of yellow spots when illuminated with a Woods lamp! 2. You will find that the alcohol rubs used in the NHS these days are actually mainly ethanol, at least the approved ones are. They may contain a small amount of n-propanol as this enhances the "kill" effect. They will be heavily buffered with gelatin and other emollients to prevent skin drying. Being ethanol, there is a problem in some hospital areas with patients trying to drink the sanitiser from the dispenser! The point I was trying to make (perhaps too obliquely) is that we need to try to keep a holistic view of this. We are all exposed to bacteria all the time. Only about 1% of all known bacteria are harmful to man, and only then if they are in the wrong place at the wrong time. Without e-coli in your gut you would not be able to digest your food, yet in the wrong place it can be a killer. Without bacteria in the soil to break it down and release nutrients, plants would not grow, and then where would we be. If you have washed your hands, then applied a moisturising lotion (as you should every time)then the surface of your skin will have a bacteriostatic effect. It is unlikely that any viable bacteria on the door handle will survive for very long on healthy skin. Thus, in my experience in some 26 years concerned with the prevention of damage to health from skin exposure, and having studied the literature extensively, there is no evidence that I can find of this being a significant risk.

Posted By J Knight Sorry about poor typing in previous post, oops, John