Disease outbreak in the office

Which has more bacteria, a toilet seat or an office computer mouse? The computer mouse is 3 times dirtier.

The habit of eating while working is an effective way for bacteria to quickly enter the body /// Photo: Shutterstock

The results of a study from a few years ago in the UK still shock office workers. It’s not just their computer mouse that’s dirtier than the toilet. Computer keyboards and elevator buttons are also “worse” than the seemingly dirtiest place in the world. But why? Think of the simplest reason: frequency of disinfection. How often do you clean your mouse or keyboard? The answer is sometimes never. Meanwhile, toilets are cleaned daily, often with harsh detergents.

Hands are more dangerous than buttocks

The Daily Mail newspaper quoted an analysis by researchers saying that the habit of eating right at the desk of many office workers, dropping food on the keyboard, computer mouse or touching the mouse and keyboard with food-stained hands has significantly contributed to "building a nest" for bacteria, waiting for the opportunity to follow the hands deep into the body when the hands pick up food, then wipe it on the eyes, nose.

Consider another reason: between the hands (which come into contact with the mouse and keyboard) and the butt (which comes into contact with the toilet seat), which body part is scarier? In terms of nurturing viruses and bacteria, the hands are a much more ideal nest. Do you press the elevator button? Do you turn the doorknob? Do you turn on the water? Do you shake hands with a colleague?

All of these are ideal opportunities for the virus to "swing" into your body while the part that comes into contact with the toilet seat clearly does not have that many opportunities. In addition, according to scientists' calculations, on average every 3 minutes, we touch our face with our hands, thus creating a bridge for the virus to fly straight into the eyes, nose, mouth, freely wandering into every nook and cranny deep inside our body. Once again, the butt is not capable of providing a bridge.

How fast does the virus travel?

Spreading like a virus is a common comparison. But how fast do viruses really spread? The American Society for Microbiology conducted a study to test the power of viruses in offices by placing a virus on a doorknob or on an office desk.

The Washington Post reported that the study found that within 2 to 4 hours, the experimental virus had infected more than half of the employees and visitors entering the building. It also spread to more than half of the surfaces frequently touched by office workers.

In this study, scientists discovered that the hottest spots for viruses are in the office break room, specifically the coffee machine and water dispenser. Simply put, the more people come and touch a place, the more viruses will gather.

Research team leader Charles Gerba said that when we touch a surface, we "pick up" 30-50% of the viruses on that surface into our bodies. He also said that the main cause of diseases such as flu and diarrhea is from "picking up" like this.

Miracle cure

People today, especially the sophisticated office workers, often believe in high technology, modern advanced solutions rather than the old measures that have no trace of the digital age. Yet modern researchers still confirm one thing as old as the earth: the sharpest weapon to prevent disease transmission in the office is still washing hands with soap.

Remember, to cut off all the viruses that cling to your hands and wait to penetrate your body, each time you wash your hands should last at least 20 seconds. Simply sing Happy Birthday and then wash your hands.

In the absence of soap and water, hand sanitizer is a suitable backup solution.

Remember, germs don't only congregate in bathrooms, so there's no reason to only wash your hands after using the bathroom. Germs can be on your hands when you shake hands with a colleague, touch a doorknob, or pour a drink. Wash your hands before eating and at other times during the day. It's never a bad idea to keep hand sanitizer in high-traffic areas of your office.

Keeping your office clean is, of course, important. Use disinfectant wipes to regularly wipe down dirty surfaces that are as dirty as the toilet seat: water dispenser knobs, coffee makers, microwaves, elevators, door handles, computer keyboards, computer mice... Don't forget your cell phone, too, it's another germ hotspot that needs regular attention.

According to TNO