The mobile phone is a nest of germs, but does it represent a real danger?

Mélanie Faure 5:00 p.m., February 10, 2023

In the pocket, in the hands, on the desk, and sometimes even in bed... Your mobile phone follows you wherever you go.

And for good reason, from the pedometer to the weather forecast via social networks, news or even games, your smartphone allows you to do many things.

So the French separate themselves from it less and less, and the telephone becomes an increasingly intimate object, with which we maintain an almost carnal relationship.

But that's forgetting that by sometimes following us to the toilets, it has become a veritable nest of germs.

microorganisms and viruses

The screen, the shell, the microphone, even the cord to carry it over the shoulder... There is no shortage of surfaces where bacteria can settle.

A smartphone is on average covered with seven times more bacteria than a toilet seat, according to a study carried out by the British company Initial Washroom Hygiene, which specializes in hygiene.

"There is no doubt that the toilets are cleaner than the mobile phone", confirms for his part to Europe 1 Chryslène Au, head of the Mediterranean Microbiology Laboratory based in Cabriès, near Marseille.

"The difference is that cleaning the toilet bowl has become fully accepted."

But not your laptop?

"We hold it in our hand and we sputter on it when we make a phone call", she deciphers.

"Your phone accompanies you to the toilet, to the lunch table at work, and to your home at the end of the day. And that leads to a buildup of microorganisms that end up on your hands."

But what are they?

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Chryslène Au conducted analyzes on cell phones.

Result ?

Our dear smartphones are home to the microorganisms of our microbiota: Staphylococci and Corynebacteria for the skin and Streptococci for the mouth.

But also soil bacteria, Bacillus and bacteria... from toilets.

We find in particular Escherichia coli, an intestinal bacterium found in particular in Buitoni pizzas last April, and viruses, such as norovirus and rotavirus.

From doorknobs to TV remotes, bacteria are everywhere

The telephone is not the only everyday object carrying bacteria.

There is the badge at work, which goes from the bag to the office, passing by the tray of the canteen.

The handbag, which travels everywhere and carries everyday objects that also carry germs.

The door handles engaged by several people.

This pair of glasses that you wear all day and adjust regularly on the nose by manipulating the temples.

This television remote control, which you do not let go of when you are lying down, sick, at home. 

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Then there are your shoes, which you don't take off when you get home and whose soles spill all types of pathogenic bacteria into your family cocoon.

Don't forget your water bottle, which sits on your desk at work.

"The water accumulates and stagnates," she says.

"The bottle drags and it is never completely emptied or washed, favoring the development of microbes." 

And the wallet, which turns out to be particularly dirty for... men.

“Bacteria love humidity and heat,” explains Chryslène Au.

"Men often have their wallet in their pocket, in contact with their body heat and this promotes the spread of microorganisms."

Inside, your tickets passed from hand to hand is another definition of "dirty money".

"The parts are made of copper and nickel, which kill microorganisms", nuance Chryslène Au.

Thus, they only survive a few hours on our currency.

Good bacteria protect us

But don't panic, bacteria are not necessarily to be viewed with suspicion.

The human body is also itself made up of them - it would have almost as many as cells.

This is also what makes up the human microbiota.

Good bacteria protect us from harmful bacteria and affect our health and well-being, creating balance.

“We cannot live in a sterile environment”, explains Professor Le Monnier, head of the clinical microbiology department at Saint-Joseph hospital in Paris.

With regard to the transmission of bacteria via touch, the risk depends on the contact time, the survival time of the bacteria on an inert surface and the latter's environment, which will more or less favor its development.

“The main thing is to reduce the bacterial load and prevent transmission from inert surfaces, especially those that we share, such as mobile phones, touch screens and computer keyboards”, analyzes the microbiologist. When you touch the subway or bus bar, you don't know who put their hands on it before, you have to be vigilant. But believe me, it's better not to know what infectious agents are hiding there!"

© PIXABAY/MELANIE FAURE FOR EUROPE 1

Wash your hands regularly to limit the risk of transmission

What to do to reduce the risks?

Preventing transmission requires good hygiene, such as washing your hands regularly.

"The average man puts his hands to his face and mouth about fifty times per hour", underlines Professor Le Monnier.

Wash your hands regularly, yes, but not too much so as not to panic your flora.

"Too frequent washing can destroy our natural weapons", warns Chryslène Au.

And if the idea of ​​disinfecting everything comes to mind, it is to be discarded.

“Regular cleaning is more effective than disinfection”, punctual, assures the head of the laboratory.

"When you clean regularly, bacteria don't have time to build up, they don't have rich, comfortable materials to cling to."

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And you have to be extra vigilant in some cases.

An environment full of pathogenic bacteria promotes contamination, particularly for immunocompromised people, such as pregnant women, children and the sick, who are less resistant to threats.

“When we are tired, we are more vulnerable too,” adds Chryslène Au.

"A sore is a risk, just like eating something like an apple without washing your hands first."

In the case of the telephone, how do you get rid of germs?

The ideal is to clean it, glass included, with a disinfectant wipe is ideal.

"If we observe the rules of hygiene and get into the habit of cleaning it, it will not be a source of anxiety", estimates Guilhem Royer, researcher in the Ecology and Evolution of Antibiotic Resistance Unit at the Pasteur Institute.

"Ultimately, our phone is only a reflection of our hygiene," he notes.

However, is your phone dangerous?

"We shouldn't take a dim view of it: outside the hospital environment, the laptop represents a minimal risk, otherwise it would constantly be the source of epidemics", concludes the researcher.