Overview
- University of Salford lecturer Gareth Nye says flushing creates aerosols that can deposit faecal particles on phones left on or near toilets.
- Devices frequently carry organisms such as E. coli and Staphylococcus aureus, according to Bond University’s review of 56 studies across 24 countries.
- Experts say phones can re-contaminate clean hands, citing CDC data that about 80% of infections are associated with hand transmission.
- Consumer group Which? advises wiping handsets and cases with 70% alcohol while avoiding ports, with regular cleaning stressed during a flu uptick in the UK.
- Public-health specialists also urge thorough handwashing, noting links to roughly 20% fewer respiratory infections and 30% fewer diarrhoea-related illnesses.