Do mobile phone surfaces carry SARS-CoV-2 virus? A systematic review warranting the inclusion of a “6th” moment of hand hygiene in healthcare.
Abstract: Mobile phones, used in billions throughout the world, are high-touch devices subject to a dynamic contamination of microorganisms and rarely considered as an important fomite to sanitise systematically. The emergence of SARS-CoV-2 resulted in the COVID-19 pandemic, arguably the most impactful pandemic of the 21st century with millions of deaths and disruption of all facets of modern life globally. Objective: To perform a systematic review of the literature exploring SARS-CoV-2 presence as a contaminant on mobile phones. Methods: A systematic search (PubMed and Google Scholar) of literature was undertaken from December 2019 to March 2023 identifying English language studies. Studies included in this review specifically identified or tested for the contamination of the SARS-CoV-2 virus or genome on mobile phones while studies testing for SARS-COV-2 in environments and/or other fomites samples than but not mobile phones were excluded. Results: A total of 15 studies with reports of SARS-CoV-2 contamination on mobile phones between 2020 and 2023 were included. Amongst all studies, which encompassed ten countries, 511 mobile phones were evaluated for the presence of SARS-CoV-2 contamination and 45% (231/511) were positive for SARS-CoV-2. All studies were conducted in the hospital setting and two studies performed additional testing in residential isolation rooms and a patient's house. Four studies (3 in 2020 and one in 2021) reported 0% contamination while two other studies (in 2020 and 2022) reported 100% of mobile phone contamination with SARS-COV-2. All other studies report mobile phones positive for the virus within a range of 4-77%. Conclusions: A total of 45% of mobile phones are contaminated with SARS-CoV-2 virus. These devices might be an important fomite vector for viral dissemination worldwide. Competent health authorities are advised/recommended to start a global implementation of mobile phone decontamination by introducing regulations and protocols in public health and health care settings such as the 6th moment of hand washing.
Copyright © 2023 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.
Publication Date: 2023-08-25 PubMed ID: 37738691DOI: 10.1016/j.jiph.2023.08.017Google Scholar: Lookup
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Summary
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The research article aims to demonstrate that mobile phones, due to their frequent use, are commonly contaminated by the SARS-CoV-2 virus and could potentially be a significant vector for its spread. This necessitates the proposal for a “6th moment” of hand hygiene that includes decontamination of such high-use objects.
Objective and Methods
- The objective of the research was to analyze scientific literature for the presence of SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for COVID-19, as a contaminant on mobile phones. The researchers conducted a systematic search, using PubMed and Google Scholar databases, to identify relevant studies published between December 2019 and March 2023.
- Only studies that specifically identified or tested for the contamination of mobile phones by SARS-CoV-2 were included, while those that tested for contamination in other environments or on different objects were excluded from this review.
Results
- The systematic review included a total of 15 studies. These studies come from ten different countries and involved an evaluation of 511 mobile phones for evidence of SARS-CoV-2 contamination.
- Of the phones tested, 45% (or 231 out of 511) were positive for SARS-CoV-2 contamination. All studies were conducted in hospital settings, with some additional tests conducted in residential isolation rooms and patient houses.
- The extent of contamination varied significantly among studies. While 4 studies reported no contamination, 2 studies found 100% contamination. In the remaining studies, contamination ranged from 4% to 77%.
Conclusions
- The researchers concluded that 45% of mobile phones showed contamination by the SARS-CoV-2 virus. This high percentage highlights the potential of such frequently-used devices as significant fomites (objects or materials likely to carry infection) for global viral dissemination.
- As a result, the study recommends that health authorities worldwide introduce regulations and protocols for mobile phone decontamination, suggesting this as an additional “6th moment” of hand hygiene. Such hygiene protocols are especially crucial in public health and healthcare settings, where the risk and potential impact of viral spread are high.
Cite This Article
APA
Olsen M, Demaneuf T, Singh G, Goldsworthy A, Jones P, Morgan M, Nassar R, Senok A, Ghemrawi R, Almheiri R, Marzooqi HA, Almansoori S, Albastaki A, Almansoori R, McKirdy S, Alghafri R, Tajouri L.
(2023).
Do mobile phone surfaces carry SARS-CoV-2 virus? A systematic review warranting the inclusion of a “6th” moment of hand hygiene in healthcare.
J Infect Public Health, 16(11), 1750-1760.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jiph.2023.08.017 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Faculty of Health Sciences and Medicine, Bond University, Robina, QLD, Australia.
- The Pacific Community (SPC), New Caledonia, France.
- Faculty of Health Sciences and Medicine, Bond University, Robina, QLD, Australia.
- Faculty of Health Sciences and Medicine, Bond University, Robina, QLD, Australia.
- Faculty of Health Sciences and Medicine, Bond University, Robina, QLD, Australia.
- Faculty of Health Sciences and Medicine, Bond University, Robina, QLD, Australia.
- College of Medicine, Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dubai, United Arab Emirates; School of Dentistry, College of Biomedical and Life Sciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, United Kingdom.
- College of Medicine, Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
- College of Pharmacy, Al Ain University, P.O. Box 112612, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
- General Department of Forensic Sciences and Criminology, Dubai Police, Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
- Dubai Police Scientists Council, Dubai Police, Dubai, United Arab Emirates; General Department of Forensic Sciences and Criminology, Dubai Police, Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
- General Department of Forensic Sciences and Criminology, Dubai Police, Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
- Dubai Police Scientists Council, Dubai Police, Dubai, United Arab Emirates; General Department of Forensic Sciences and Criminology, Dubai Police, Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
- Dubai Police Scientists Council, Dubai Police, Dubai, United Arab Emirates; General Department of Forensic Sciences and Criminology, Dubai Police, Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
- Harry Butler Institute, Murdoch University, Murdoch, WA 6150, Australia.
- Harry Butler Institute, Murdoch University, Murdoch, WA 6150, Australia; General Department of Forensic Sciences and Criminology, Dubai Police, Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
- Faculty of Health Sciences and Medicine, Bond University, Robina, QLD, Australia; Dubai Police Scientists Council, Dubai Police, Dubai, United Arab Emirates; Harry Butler Institute, Murdoch University, Murdoch, WA 6150, Australia. Electronic address: ltajouri@bond.edu.au.
Conflict of Interest Statement
Declaration of Competing Interest No conflict of interest to declare.
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