Fear the phone, says germ expert

WORRIED about colds, flu and other germs? Go ahead and touch those doorknobs and elevator buttons, but watch out for the telephone and sinks, a top expert advises.

And while you should always wash your hands before making a meal, many people do not realise that they should do so afterwards also, says Charles Gerba, a microbiologist and clean water expert at the University of Arizona.

“Most of the common infections — colds, flu, diarrhoea — you get environmentally transmitted either in the air or on surfaces you touch. I think people under-rate surfaces.”

And when they are cautious, they are usually cautious about the wrong things, he said.

“Doorknobs are usually on the low side (in a bacterial count). I guess they are not moist. Never fear a doorknob.”

Keyboards and telephones — especially when they are shared — are among the most germ-laden places in a home or office, he said.

“Keyboards are a lunch counter for germs. We turn them over in a lot of studies and we are amazed at what comes out of a keyboard.”

The average desk harbours 400 times more bacteria than a toilet seat, he said.

“Toilets get a bad rap. So does the door on the way out.”

Bathroom sinks, however, are another matter.

“Sinks are usually high (in bacterial counts) to begin with. They have got everything a bacteria likes. It’s wet, it’s moist. In a home we usually find more e.coli in a sink than a toilet.”

Men’s rooms, too.

“Usually the dirtiest handles in public restrooms are urinal flush handles.”