EVERY WEEK I hear someone answering a phone call while seated on a toilet. This is not healthy for several reasons. Here is what researchers at the University of Arizona say:
When University of Arizona researchers tested 25 cellphones, 20 percent came up positive for MRSA. "When was the last time you cleaned your cellphone? I'm willing to bet never," says Charles Gerba, Ph.D., the study's lead researcher and coauthor of The Germ Freak's Guide to Outwitting Cold and Flu. "These things are very germy, especially the keypads and mouthpieces." Picture it: Every time you dial a number or send a text message, you're transferring the germs on your hands to your phone and then straight to your mouth.
Fortunately, help is at hand. You can sanitize your mobile phone once a week with disinfecting wipes--the kind many moms carry around for toddler-sized accidents). NOTE: Don't spray bleach on your phone. If you want more peace of mind, consider Motorola's new i870 cellphone. The i870 comes treated with AgION Antimicrobial, a very fine ceramic powder coating that contains silver ions, the same substance that's woven into some gym apparel to help inhibit the growth of bacteria.
Several Irish hospitals fear for the rise of MRSA supebugs. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is staph on steroids. It has exceptional resistance to most antibiotics and can be deadly if it enters the bloodstream. And even though MRSA usually hides in hospitals, medical professionals know about the MRSA potential from mobile phones.
Jennifer Everett -- "Here's how to beat top infection spreaders"
