ewww.... :::grabs Lysol disinfecting wipes:::
via Techdirt by Carlo Longino on 3/16/09
A new study checked out the mobile phones of 200 doctors and nurses, and found that 95 percent of them were contaminated with bacteria, while 1 in 8 had the MRSA staph bug. These findings pretty much echo those of previous studies, and like those earlier efforts, this one doesn't really go into exactly how dangerous these bacteria-laden handsets are. Unless, of course, you count the comments by the head of a "microbial sterilisation systems company" -- who in no way has a dog in this hunt -- that "holding your phone to your mouth is as dangerous as placing your face on a toilet bowl." Somehow, that comment doesn't seem too convincing, even though it's fairly colorful. If handsets were really portable mongers of bacteria-based death, one would think these medical studies might make that clear, and doctors and hospitals would take some steps to address the problem.
Carlo Longino is an expert at the Insight Community. To get insight and analysis from Carlo Longino and other experts on challenges your company faces, click here.
Permalink | Comments | Email This Story