iStock/Thinkstock(EUGENE, Ore.) — People have more in common with their smartphones than they probably realize but it’s not necessarily something you’d want to text a friend about.
Researcher James Meadow at the University of Oregon says phones carry much of the same types of bacteria that are found on people.
As a matter of fact, after analyzing 17 people and their smartphones, Meadow and his team learned that 82 percent of these microorganisms existing on participants’ fingers also wound up on their digital devices with this phenomenon occurring more often with women than men.
So what is the practical application of this particularly appetizing discovery? Well, it could really come in handy wherever you find health care workers and hospital visitors, according to Meadow.
For instance, their phones could be examined for possible harmful bacteria and viruses that they may be bringing inside and outside of a medical facility.
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