How dirty are the cell phones we carry around and use everywhere?
With the help of Fresno City College students Krizza Conde and Leo Torres, we took swab samples from four moms – Jia Salon owner Cyndi Smith, mom of three Tracy Lehmen, Stroller Strides owner Melissa Blake... and Zara's phone too.
After three days in an incubator, it was time to check the results. Cyndi and Tracy’s iPhones were clean. But Melissa’s Blackberry tested positive for several colonies of bacteria, staph and hemolysis, which could harm blood vessels if you’re exposed to a lot of it. Zara's was also bad with a few colonies of bacteria and one positive sign of E. Coli.
So does this mean Melissa and Zara – who are the only moms with toddlers at home – are dirty? FCC Professor Nuria Denis-Arrue says, “No! It means that you, like everybody else around you, carry bacteria wherever we go. The concern is to reduce the numbers as much as we can. Some of it will be impossible to avoid.”
CBS47 Medical Expert Dr. Giatri Dave adds, “The germs that you’re transferring are germs that are in your environment. They’re germs that you’re already immune to. So it’s unlikely that you could get sick from your own cell phone.”
Still, that’s little comfort to Melissa and Zara. The professor and Dr. Dave say, it’s best to relax... but to also wash our hands constantly with soap and water. (For at least 20 seconds!) Also, avoid touching our mouths and eyes, and try to keep the devices out of our babies’ mouths. You could also swipe your phone every now and then with an alcohol wipe or a baby wipe, in a pinch.
