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Hello, this is COVID19: Does the coronavirus live on the surface of a smartphone?

A few days ago, Rospotrebnadzor recommended that Russians disinfect their mobile phones, as they are "one of the main sources of bacteria and viruses":

  • a mobile phone is often passed from hand to hand, and the owner of the phone does not always pick it up with his newly washed hands;
  • the mobile phone is brought very close to the face when talking;
  • many gadget owners simply never clean them for fear of damage;
  • many take mobile phones with them to the toilet - a place very “rich” with various pathogens

In this regard, the department recommended regularly wiping smartphones with alcohol-based antiseptics, treat the case separately, and it is better to "do without it at all."

I remember that in those days when COVID19 was not yet called that way and generally seemed, for the most part, to be a near-Chinese problem, the media wrote about a decrease in demand for goods from Aliexpress because of fears that they were contagious.

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After that, WHO has repeatedly stated that everything is OK, the virus does not survive like that.

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But Rospotrebnadzor insists that your mobile is almost the main breeding ground for infection. Researchers at The University of Arizona claim that on the surface of your mobile lives 10 times more microorganisms than in the toilet seat. And according to the studyDeloitte, an average American (I think this data can be easily extended to Russians) checks for updates on his smartphone 52 times a day. Phones recommends daily disinfection and the American Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC):
“Clean AND disinfect frequently touched surfaces daily. This includes tables, doorknobs, light switches, countertops, handles, desks, phones , keyboards, toilets, faucets, and sinks. "

Let's see where the truth is: how long a new coronavirus can live on the surface of objects.

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Such an ambiguous conclusion is made by the authors of the preprint of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and University of California published last week . Scientists placed the virus on various surfaces and found that it remained virulent, that is, capable of infecting the body, for 4 hours on copper, 24 hours on cardboard and two or three days on plastic and stainless steel. In air, the virus can remain viable for up to three hours. The researchers noted that SARS, which caused an outbreak of SARS in 2003, had similar properties.

The authors of the work warn that research in the laboratory cannot directly reflect how long the virus can live in real conditions. It is also not very clear how COVID19 behaves on soft surfaces, such as clothing. Infectious Diseases Specialist Daniel Kuritzkes of Brigham and Women's Hospital emphasizes that flat hard surfaces are generally more conducive to the survival of viruses than tissues or rough surfaces. Probably, food is also not a risk factor, because coronavirus infection begins with the respiratory system, and not with the digestive tract. Nevertheless, scientists believe that their preliminary findings will help to better understand the nature of the new coronavirus and help prevent the further spread of the disease.

Now researchers are planning to study how environmental factors such as temperature and humidity affect the survivability of a virus. This will help to understand whether its spread can slow down in the warm season, as is the case with conventional flu.

Another interesting study was published by virologists from the same Wuhan. They studied air samples taken in hospitals and other facilities throughout the city. Almost everywhere it was clean: there were practically no viruses even in the intensive care unit. However, in some rooms, specialists found higher concentrations of pathogens, for example, in the personnel area, where doctors and nurses took off their protective clothing, as well as in the patient toilet.

It is still too early to draw any definite conclusions from the studies. Nevertheless, while there is no clear data on the methods of transmission of the virus, perhaps it makes sense to take additional precautions, especially if you are at risk. Sanitizing your gadgets doesn't seem to be out of place.

OK, so how do I clean my smartphone?


Apple just last week updated its product guide , recommending that you clean your devices with 70% isopropyl alcohol or Clorox disinfectant wipes . We haven’t seen such on sale, but their composition may be useful in finding an alternative:
ACTIVE INGREDIENTS: n-Alkyl (C14, 60%; C16, 30%; C12, 5%; C18, 5%) Dimethyl Benzyl Ammonium Chloride.0.184% n-Alkyl (C12, 68%; C14, 32%) Dimethyl Ethylbenzyl Ammonium Chloride.0.184%
OTHER INGREDIENTS: 99.632% CONTAINS NO PHOSPHORUS

Apple had previously banned the use of cleaning products and advised device owners to only wipe them with a damp, lint-free cloth. Samsung continues to give the same recommendations . It is important not to overdo it with water, so that the liquid does not get inside the device.

However, if such measures seem insufficient to you, Phone Soap offers an alternative method of destroying pathogens on a smartphone - a UV disinfectant . This is, let’s say, a solarium for your phone, where it is irradiated with ultraviolet light from all sides.

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Sounds, ahem, not very convincing. However, the device passed laboratory tests., according to the results of which he successfully coped with the destruction of bacteria of E. coli, Salmonella, influenza, staphylococcus, etc. Against COVID19, the device, of course, has not yet been tested. However, the demand for the gadget seems to exceed supply: on the site you can pre-order a telephone tanning bed with delivery dated May 5 ( when humanity is already extinct ). The device costs $ 80. Amazon users, in general, were satisfied with the experience of using it (76% gave a rating of 5, and only 6% gave a unit). Some buyers, however, note that the device stopped working after a short period of use.

Conclusion


Indeed, even an ordinary SARS can be picked up after using an object on which an infected person sneezed some time ago. Nevertheless, as doctors from one of the world's largest medical centers, Mayo Clinic, emphasize , personal contact with an infected person, for example, through shaking hands or inhaling drops from a cough or sneezing, is the surest way to pick up the virus.

So do not touch your nose, mouth and eyes. If your hands reach out and touch the mucous membranes, you can, as Catherine Belling of the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine advises, treat your fingers with raw onions (no kidding): you will smell a pungent smell every time you bring your hands to your face, and You’ll become better at controlling yourself.

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And do not forget to wash your hands often with soap or alcohol-based disinfectant for 20 seconds. Gloria Gaynor to the rescue:

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