It’s flu season again and it seems like the biggest carrier of germs could be that sleek little smartphone you just can’t live without.
That’s right. Personal touch-screen devices like iPhones, iPads, Droids and BlackBerrys carry more germs than a toilet in a subway bathroom, according to a study published in the Journal of Applied Microbiology.
And that’s not even the half of it. The study also found that these devices are so good at spreading viruses, that sharing them may be as bad as sneezing in someone’s face.
"If you're sharing the device, then you're sharing your influenza with someone else who touches it," Timothy Julian, a Stanford University doctoral student who co-authored the study, told the Sacramento Bee.
"If you put virus on a surface, like an iPhone, about 30 percent of it will get on your fingertips," Julian said.
And if you’re really worried about getting the flu – stop by your local drug store or call your doctor to get the seasonal flu shot.
That’s right. Personal touch-screen devices like iPhones, iPads, Droids and BlackBerrys carry more germs than a toilet in a subway bathroom, according to a study published in the Journal of Applied Microbiology.
And that’s not even the half of it. The study also found that these devices are so good at spreading viruses, that sharing them may be as bad as sneezing in someone’s face.
"If you're sharing the device, then you're sharing your influenza with someone else who touches it," Timothy Julian, a Stanford University doctoral student who co-authored the study, told the Sacramento Bee.
"If you put virus on a surface, like an iPhone, about 30 percent of it will get on your fingertips," Julian said.
And if you’re really worried about getting the flu – stop by your local drug store or call your doctor to get the seasonal flu shot.
