Experts are raising alarms about the health risks of using smartphones at the dinner table, particularly during holiday meals. Dr. Gareth Nye, a senior physiology lecturer at the University of Chester, warns that phones can harbor harmful bacteria picked up from daily use. These bacteria, including E. coli and faecal streptococci, can cause gastrointestinal issues like food poisoning, vomiting, and diarrhea. For individuals with weaker immune systems, the risks escalate to severe infections such as sepsis or pneumonia.
Dr. Nye highlights that the type of bacteria present on phones varies depending on daily activities and occupations. Healthcare workers, for example, often carry pathogens like Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Acinetobacter baumannii, which can cause serious respiratory or skin infections. Even non-healthcare workers are at risk, as phones frequently carry food-poisoning bacteria due to hand-to-phone contamination. This contamination cycle is worsened by poor hand hygiene, especially after bathroom visits, transferring bacteria to phones and eventually to food surfaces.
To minimize risks, experts recommend keeping phones away from dining areas and adopting rigorous cleaning routines. Regularly disinfecting phones with isopropyl alcohol wipes, cleaning phone cases with soapy water, and practicing good hand hygiene can significantly reduce bacterial transfer. Dr. Nye assures that daily sanitization of phones combined with handwashing is sufficient to prevent most infections, helping ensure a healthier dining experience.
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