I was thinking on the right lines, apparently. According to a new British study (Oct 15th 2011), one in six cellphones may be contaminated with fecal matter (sh*t). Cell phones can spread E. coli, likely because so many people don’t wash their hands properly after using the toilet.
The findings also suggest that many people lie about their hygiene habits, according to the researchers at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine and Queen Mary, University of London.
The study authors went to 12 cities and collected 390 samples from the cellphones and hands of volunteers, who were also asked about their hand-washing habits.
Ninety-five percent of the participants told the researchers that they washed their hands with soap and water where possible. However, lab tests revealed that 92% of phones and 82% of hands had bacteria on them. The researchers also found that 16% of hands and 16% of cellphones harbored E. coli bacteria, which is found in feces and can cause serious illness.
Seems like people are telling porkies (pork pies=lies in London rhyming slang).
“This study provides more evidence that some people still don’t wash their hands properly, especially after going to the toilet. I hope the thought of having E. coli on their hands and phones encourages them to take more care in the bathroom — washing your hands with soap is such a simple thing to do but there is no doubt it saves lives,” Dr. Val Curtis, a hygiene expert at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine.
SOURCE: London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, news release, Oct. 14, 2011
This gives new meaning to the old expression “Wash behind your ears kid!”
Love it Walt! Ha ha!
I am a Registered Nurse, taught to wash hands with soap and water frequently and thoroughly. When I was taking my State Board Exam, which lasted many hours and thus we were given toilet breaks, I noticed that the newly educated nurses, who should have been full of the knowledge just gotten and being tested on, washed their hands with this ratio: one third thoroughly washed; one third “made a pass at it” but did a very poor job, probably not removing the germs and fecal matter on the hands and one third just walked out and didn’t even stop at the sink. I shall never forget that. It’s was a horrible, disappointing, sobering experience. I would name the state, but people would conclude that it was a regional or educational thing of that area, but I’d just about bet my last nickel it would be the same in all 50 states. People don’t put into practice what they give lip service to. By the way, when I am out in a public toilet, I almost NEVER see those who do stop to wash do an adequate job. They run a little water over the ends of their fingers and call it done. People think they are cleaner than they really are.
Rarely is the length of handwashing described. At a recent polytech course on health science for nurses, washing well was talked about but hard to define. (i was a bit out of date, having graduated in 1947 with a four year bachelor of home science with lots of classes with Otago meds plus much food science, eventuating in nutrition , where it was I who asked if food ever made one ill. Told – no.– 30 years to the truth.) Eventually it was dragged out- sing 2 verses of happy birthday!! Then a recent overnight in A&E, a doctor made a very perunctory show of hand washing before my examination! I was tempted to comment but thought my welfare came first. Should I write and comment to the hospital board??
Incidentally have been diagnosed- 2 tests, incl v high BNP- with severe heart failure- am doing all the recommended things (yes, know how to detect intolerances) any suggestions?
Submitted to drugs seeing all the recommendations have not worked.
If you do not want to get germs or viruses in public washrooms, do not touch the taps or door handles, and “flushers” with bare hands. At least, have some toilet paper or a paper towel between your skin and the objects.
We don’t all want to be like Howard Hughes, Terrence.
Some of us think constantly meeting germs is good for our immune systems.
Just don’t do anything silly, is all.
Prof.