Use essay to create a PowerPoint
In hygiene, Microbial standards are necessary and important for one to have a healthy life. Most people have had a belief that microbes only exist in hospitals or research labs and clinics and therefore they do not have information concerning their security in other breeding grounds. Lacking knowledge on how and where germs can occur could lead to many health problems. Koscova et al. state that 80 percent of the infections could be a result of contact of the hand with hands or with other objects (1). Bacteria can be found anywhere including food, soil, animals, plants, water, and air. According to Koscova et al., devices such as mobile phones can transmit microorganisms such as Gram-Positive bacteria (Micrococcus spp, Staphylococcus spp), bacteria such as Gram-Negative, and spore-forming rod microorganisms (Bacillus Spp.) (1). The focus of this paper, therefore, is to establish how dirty cellphones are, intending to emphasize the importance of microbiology in biomedical sciences and to professionals in modern health care.
A cell phone can be defined as a portable, cordless telephone used by almost everyone in the world. Despite its multipurpose use, a cell phone is reported to be hazardous since it carries microorganisms alongside its important data (Lopez et al. 1-8). Lopez et al. state that cellphones are filthy things humans use oblivious of the fact that they carry approximately 25,000 germs in a square inch (1-8). Among many surfaces which include toilet seats, food dishes, doorknobs, kitchen counters, etc., cellphones are considered to be carrying the highest number of germs per square inch. At a square inch, the toilet seat carries 1,201 bacteria, the kitchen counter has 1,736, the Pet food dish has 2,110, the Checkout screen has 4,500, and the Doorknob which has 8,643 bacteria (Pontious). Cellphones are therefore the dirtiest and unhygienic objects, over ten times dirtier in harboring bacteria than toilet surfaces. Toilet surfaces appear cleaner than cell phones.
It is important to note that cell phones also have a connection to nosocomial infections. Cellphones have been reported to be reservoirs for Microbial Pathogens. Cellphones are used by both clinical and non-clinical officers or health care and non-health workers in hospitals. Hospitals are the places where nosocomial or hospital-related infections have been reported to be the most prevalent. According to Lopez et al., 40% of pathogenic bacteria are from phones used by patients while 20% are from the cell phones used by the hospital staff (1-8). The bacteria are reported to be part of the mucous membranes and skin physiological microbiota as commensal and epiphytes bacteria. Cell phones have proved to be the most potential reservoirs for infection. Phones are not always disinfected since many users are not aware that they are potential sources of microbial contamination which consequently leads to the transmission of pathogens (Ya’aba et al. 35). The bacteria that are found on our skin, hands, and fingernails are likely to be transferring bacteria to cellphones.
Research done by Koscova et al. showed that out of 25 mobile phones that were sampled, 92 percent of them were infected by bacteria (5). Before the phones were disinfected, they had 20 percent Staphylococcus aureus, 76 percent CoNS (coagulase-negative staphylococci), 36 percent Bacillus spp, 36 percent Micrococcus spp and 12 percent Enteric bacteria (Koscova et al. 5). When they were disinfected, there was a reduction of 60.0%, 63.2%, 88.9%, 88.9%, and 100% respectively. In the study of Pal et al.’s “Mobile phones Reservoirs for the transmission of nosocomial pathogens” (qtd in Koscova et al. 5), CoNS were also the most prevalent with almost 81% bacteria (5). In addition, they confirmed that these bacteria under some circumstances can easily lead to purulent infections in immunosuppressed persons.
(INSERT END OF CONCLUSION HERE)
To prevent the risk posed by dirty cellphones, washing hands regularly should be done. Secondly, phones are supposed to be cleaned using disposable wipes that are specifically made to disinfect and clean phone surfaces (Cutolo). One can also clean the cell phone using a gentle cloth mixed with 40% isopropyl alcohol and 60% water.
