DESK PHONE
COMPUTER MOUSE
DESPITE leaving a good dose of ‘germs’ on the bathroom handle, i’ve still got plenty of ‘virus’ to leave behind on the mouse and phone when working with unwashed hands — as you can see from the bright white patches, they are both highly contaminated.
after only rinsing my hands — which a lot of people think they can get away with — the desk items are less contaminated, but there are still clear signs of the ‘virus’, which is waiting to be transferred to any colleague who might next sit at my desk. studies suggest Covid-19 may survive on plastic surfaces such as these for up to three days. ‘This is why it’s essential not to hot desk in the office,’ says professor Bloomfield.
‘if you are infected and the virus spreads across your own desk, it’s not a concern, but if someone else comes into contact with it there, it’s a worry,’ she says. if you must hot desk, thoroughly clean the area before and after use.
after using the equipment with washed hands, there is no ‘virus’ to be seen. But it’s important to note that if i had Covid-19 and used the phone, despite having clean hands, particles from my mouth would end up on the receiver. it is therefore wise to sanitise the phone before use.
‘We should all be told to sanitise our hands when we leave our desks, and again when we return to them — whether we’ve washed them in the meantime or not — because you will be touching surfaces on your way to and from the desk,’ says professor Bloomfield.