Mobile phone contamination could be part of SARS-CoV-2 transmission chain in hospitals, Brazil case study suggests

Sumary of Mobile phone contamination could be part of SARS-CoV-2 transmission chain in hospitals, Brazil case study suggests:

Researchers conducting a study at a coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) intensive care unit (ICU) in São Paulo, Brazil, have warned that infection control guidelines need to include a universal policy regarding the disinfection of mobile phones in the hospital setting..
A team from the University of São Paulo, Brazil, conducted a cross-sectional study at the ICU to investigate healthcare workers’ knowledge about the cross-contamination of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) – the agent responsible for COVID-19..
The researchers say the finding that healthcare worker mobile phones can be contaminated with SARS-CoV-2 suggests these devices could form part of the transmission chain in healthcare settings..
Related Stories They conducted a cross-sectional study involving staff members working in the adult ICU of a teaching hospital in São Paulo..
Healthcare staff use scrubs, N95-respirators and surgical-caps as standard while working inside the unit, and they also wear a surgical-gown, face shield and gloves if entering a patient room..
Ten days after the campaign was held, the researchers took swabs of the participants’ phones and sent them for SARS-CoV-2 testing by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR)….

From News-Medical - November 9, 2020May 9, 2021

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