Study Finds Coronavirus Can Survive on Smartphones for Up to a Week But Cleaning Them With Alcohol is a Big No!

Christine Roger, Tech Times 04 March 2020, 04:03 am

Study shows that Coronavirus can survive on hard surfaces, especially on the mobile phone screens, which are a potential route of infection.

(Photo : Screenshot from: Pexels Website)

Smartphones are dirtier than a toilet seat

Checking your phone every day for countless times is a given scenario. People do not usually realize that one of the main causes of infection or illness is actually from the one thing that we use almost every day, and that is our smartphones. Research has shown that cellphones are far dirtier than most people actually think and that a recent study found more 17,000 bacterial genes on smartphones of high school students and that these devices literally carry 10 times more bacteria than a toilet seat.

So just how dirty are our phones? Here are some common bacteria that can be found on your phone right now

First, we have Streptococcus, a germ that looks like tangled chains under the microscope. If you have not figured it out yet, this bacteria causes Strep Throat, basically or what others call Streptococcal Pharyngitis as well as other illnesses, which include pneumonia, meningitis, and sepsis all in all. Treatment for this is your antibiotics. Pneumonia and meningitis need to be treated as soon as possible, and for sepsis, it could very much be fatal if not treated immediately.

Next, we have a Cold and the Flu. These bacteria cause fever, chills, and coughs accompanied by fatigue. Though they usually cure themselves on their own.

This next one is called Corynebacterium, which is actually responsible for Diphtheria--a serious infection among others and can be treated with antibiotics and even surgery if the damage to the heart is too severe.

How to cleanse and sanitize your phone

Please do not use rubbing alcohol or any harsh chemicals to disinfect your phone cause this can lead to it being damaged. These phones have certain coatings on them to prevent grease from your hand to stick on the device, and using these harsh chemicals can harm them. Instead, please use a microfiber cloth with soap and water, but do not soak it. Just lightly damped. Using this is the best way to clean your device. Just make sure that no liquid gets into your phones and unplug when charging and turn off before cleaning.

You could also put into mind looking into a UV light to try and kill the bacteria. Phone Soap uses UV-C light to break down germs and bacteria and disinfects it. Cases on your phone can also likely be full of bacteria as well. So, cleaning this along with your device is strictly recommended.

Last but not least, you have to wash your hands regularly. Keeping your hands clean can actually lead to your phone staying clean as well. It is a matter of being mindful of where you are putting your phone and how you are handling it.