Cell Phones, Other Everyday Devices, Can Spread Coronavirus

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Cell phones, mostly made of plastic, can carry particles of the new coronavirus for more than four days.  On average, an individual will touch a cell phone 2,600 times a day, according to a study conducted by Dscout Research.

With each passing hour, the number of particles decreases and the chance of infection is reduced. However, with each new handling of the device by an infected person, the half-life timer of the virus may revert to its starting point.

Biomedical Roberto Figueiredo, who became better known as Dr. Bacteria, recommends the use of isopropyl alcohol to sanitize electronic devices such as cell phones, mouses and keyboards. This type of alcohol can be found in electronics stores.

“Alcohol gel is not recommended because it contains water, which can damage the equipment. You should moisten a cloth with isopropyl alcohol – careful not to soak it – and pass it over the object once a week, it’s a quick procedure,” he says.

A similar situation occurs with objects made of cardboard and steel or iron. On buses and subway trains, for instance, the iron bars that serve as support can carry the virus. According to a study published in a pre-print on the medRxiv platform, the new coronavirus survives up to 3.6 days on steel – a time that can also be extended to iron.

Another recurring object in everyday life are debit and credit cards being swiped -and the cards themselves- which are also made of plastic and are passed through dozens of hands every day.

But after all, what to do to protect oneself in cases where the object is for collective use?

According to the infectology teacher at Unifesp Sandra de Oliveira Campos, ideally the hands should be sanitized soon after using devices or getting home after using public transports, washing hands with soap and water, if possible, or using a hand sanitizer.

Despite this, Campos says that the best preventive measure is to avoid sharing personal objects and having proper hand hygiene.

“The best thing is not to share pens, cell phones and other such objects. If only you use the keyboard, there is no need to clean the object all the time if you wash your hands. If more people use the objects, the ideal situation is to clean them at least once a day”, she says.