If you’re back in the office today, it’s likely at least a few of your colleagues are suffering from a post-Christmas cold and or flu .
And according to experts, our filthy smartphones may be to blame for this New Year lurgy.
Researchers from Pall Mall Medical have revealed that Brits are four times more likely to catch flu from using an iPhone than from sitting in the same room as someone who is infected with the virus.
Dr Shikha Pitalia, GP and director at Pall Mall Medical said: “The average Brit checks their phone every 12 minutes when they’re awake and coupling this with poor hand hygiene and a dirty smartphone screen creates the perfect storm for many of us to pick up the flu this winter.
“Flu can be a serious condition, particularly for children, pregnant women and the elderly and we should all be taking simple yet effective steps in order to minimise the risk of us contracting or spreading the virus.”
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Your smartphone has 10 times more germs than a TOILET SEAT, shocking study reveals
The team found that iPhone screens can contain a range of nasty bugs, including those responsible for the common cold and influenza, as well as pneumonia, strep throat, gastroenteritis and diphtheria.
And surprisingly, they found that the average smartphone is home to 10 times as many germs as the typical toilet seat!
Based on the findings, the researchers are urging Brits to take steps to ensure their smartphone is kept as clean as possible.
They advise regularly swiping your screen with a microfibre cloth, and using disinfectant wipes to keep the rear of the smartphone clean.
They added: “For a deeper, more effective clean, apply a homemade solution of 60 percent water and 40 percent rubbing alcohol to the cloth before wiping the screen to kill as much unwanted bacteria as possible.”
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