Touch Screens, Cell Phones Can Make You Sick

(CBS)  Your electronic devices, according to two new studies, have the potential to make you very sick.

A recent study from the Journal of Applied Microbiology says viruses can easily be transferred from nonporous glass surfaces, such as the touch screen of an iPhone -- up to 30 percent of a virus can be transferred from the screen of your device to your fingers.

A separate British study says mobile phones are covered with up to 18 times more bacteria than a toilet handle.

CBS News Medical Correspondent Dr. Jennifer Ashton demonstrated with baby powder how easily germs can be passed onto your device.

Special Section: Dr. Jennifer Ashton
Video Series: Dr. Ashton's Health and Wellness

Ashton explained, "Imagine these are germs, bacteria or viruses. You see how you touch your phone all day long. Before long, it is covered with bacteria, viruses, germs.

"You know, we live in an environment that's not clean, but when you talk about putting something like this near your face or touching it all day long and putting your fingers to your nose and mouth, you can see how easy it is. ... If you hand someone your phone or put it down and don't clean your hands, you see how this is a petri dish."

Ashton said people can catch any number of bugs, from cold and flu viruses to E. coli and norovirus.

"Early Show" co-anchor Harry Smith joked, "Try to keep your iPhone off a side of beef."

"Right," Ashton said. "I actually saw a patient who got MRSA (methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus) from their phone."

Smith said, "OK. OK. I should be taking this more seriously."

Ashton replied, "Exactly."

So what can you do?

Ashton suggests:

Special Cleaners: To clean your product, you can wipe them down with special wipes you can buy at an electronics store. They also have cleaners you can buy if you're concerned about damage.
I'd also recommend wipe down your regular phones and work areas with sanitizing wipes.

Basic Hand Washing: Wash your hands with soap and water. Wash them for at least 15 seconds or as long as it takes to sing "Happy Birthday." You can also use a hand sanitizer as well.

Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth -- and don't forget to cover your cough and sneezes.

With children in mind, Ashton added parents should clean their electronics as often as possible.

She said, "Listen, you can't live your life in a sterile environment and certainly day-care centers are ripe with germs, also, but you want to be aware that you do pick these things up from somewhere. If you hand one of these to your toddler to occupy while you are doing something, they can get sick from these so keep them clean. I wipe mine down with alcohol; I try to, once a day."

[ashenkar]

If you're worried about germs and bacteria on your phone or mobile device, grab a Bacterminator case at http://www.Bacterminator.com, it's awesome!

[gn00b]

I got a set of celluwipes at xoskins when I bought a <a href="http://xoskins.com">screen protector</a> Any alcohol based wipe will do, or their skins come with a soap/water spray that I use to clean my phone as well.

[JimmyWhalesy]

I just use my celluwipes to clean my cell phone every day or so and I'm good to go. It just like when I go to the grocery store, and they have those wipe to clean the cart, but this way I have 'em with me where ever I go. Don't get sick this winter!

[CleenCell]

You might believe this story, you might not, but the fact is many Americans use their cell phones in the bathroom, at the gym, while preparing food or while changing a baby to name just a few examples, and germs such as staph, e-coli and MRSA make their way onto a cell phone.

Then...that same person who is using her iPhone to listen to music at the gym gets a phone call 2 hours later from a friend and spends the next 20 minutes with her face pressed firmly against the same device. Or perhaps worse, she gets a text message during a meal and touches her germ infested phone while eating. Regularly cleaning your cell phone reduces exposure to germs in these situations.

Think about it...she likely washed her hands or showered after her workout, but not her cell phone and is now using the same device item she used at the gym against her clean face.

Yes I work for CleenCell(R) Wipes (www.cleanmycellphone.com) and I use one almost everyday to clean my phone after a workout, after a long day with many calls, emails and texts sent from my phone, after my 10 year old cousin puts his germy hands all over my phone, and in many other situations. It's now part of my routine, like washing my hands, showering and cleaning my sunglasses.

Whatever you use, protect your health in today's mobile age by cleaning your cell phone or smartphone.

[barbaram99]

The Dr's office is more dirty than yer Device. True grems are every where. I am a home user. I wash my paws fore using computer.
I have cloth wipes that I use with display cleaner. I wipe the whole system with them.
I don't have touch displays. They are useless to the blind..
People are dirtier today. They spit. I don't have a cell or use pay phones. I hardly use the public rest rooms.
We never worried about grems years ago. True there are bads ones out there but washing our paws are a start, It is not the items but the dirty person using said item.
Common sense tells ye to wash yer paws
After using the rest room.
Before meals and after meals.
when coming home.
Before using computer etc.
The Dr is she mindful of state of cleaniness of her work place and herself, There is no need to put fear in us. Some were never taught to wash their paws- hands properly.
I will take my own machine with me to use internet access as my machine is set to my legal blindness.

[cahlgrim210]

There IS a solution to this problem. It is a 10-layer screen protector called CleanCall. Each layer peels off 1 by 1 as often as needed.

Check out www.cleancallstore.com and the blog post at

http://www.cleancallstore.com/blogs/news/2137442-cleancall-offers-solution-to-igerm-issues

This alleviates spreading of germs, build up of grime, and protects your device!

[Scimajor]

Here we go again with another round of BAD SCIENCE. Comparing a bathroom toilet handle with a touch screen is foolish. The bathroom handle gets touched briefly maybe 10 times a day in an average home? A touch screen gets touched again and again and again and comes in contact with far more than a person's finger tips. Additionally, when you clean the toilet you generally use some ammonia based cleaner whereas your touch screen gets, at most, a swipe with your shirt or whatever other cloth is at hand. Sigh. I wonder what wannabe scientist ran these "studys"? The moral of the story kiddies is "Just because they call it a 'study' it doesn't mean anything at all until it has been peer reviewed.". I love the quote ""I actually saw a patient who got MRSA from their phone" ..... you saw this did you? Sigh. Look, I'm not disputing that pathogenic material can be transmitted via contact with a phone but that's true of ANY surface. My biggest issue is the comparison with a toilet seat handle. That's just sensationalism. It has nothing to do with anything and is, as I mentioned before, a foolish comparison.

[mahdeealoo]

My phone makes me sick all the time, between poor reception and high bills...I think I'll switch to tin cans and string.

[alphaa10000]

KEYBOARDS AND RODENT CONTROL ................................................................ At least as many PDA and computer users are at risk from their own keyboards and mice-- you know, those things we spend all day touching............................................................... In fact, these are more likely to be used by many people in a normal office environment, and never (or seldom) sanitized.............................................................. For cleaning, the neatest effective solution is a plant mister (spritzer) bottle of rubbing alcohol. Just to be safe before spraying, shield the LCD or glass monitor screen with a report cover or large piece of paper, to block overspray) If the spray is properly directed at the keyboard until keys are momentarily moist, it is enough simply to wait until the alcohol dries-- no need to rub across the keys.................................................................Direct contact of any screen with alcohol is not advisable, since some glass screens are coated against glare, and spraying a non-approved solution on a screen may void the warranty (For bad smudging, wiping with a damp paper towel often works) ..............................................................Cleaning the mouse is even easier, but remember the mouse cable (near the mouse) is also in contact with the hand. For the mouse cable, spray alcohol into a tissue, wrap it around the cable and spread the alcohol around and down the cable as far as needed................................................................ Whenever the above procedures are used, remember to shut down your computer, first. A stray keystroke is an unnecessary risk to your data.

[TrackerFrost]

Wow, germs... Maybe she ought to read up more. If you did a swab test, MOST people have fecal matter on their hands...If people cared about germs, what they touched, or getting sick, they'd actually wash their hands after they used the bathroom. Pay attention in any public bathroom, most people in their don't wash their hands after going.

Worried about "non porous glass surfaces"? I would have thought the pores hold in bacteria, but you can buy spiffy screen protectors that aren't glass everywhere! Heck, replace them weekly if you're worried about it!