AT&T’s Top 5 Tips: Don't Get Sick from Your Cell

More than 11,000 cases of the flu have been confirmed in Pennsylvania so far during this year’s flu season.  The Pennsylvania Department of Health has a number of helpful tips on its website to help prevent the flu…but there is one that is missing.   

You shake hands, touch doorknobs and staircase railings – and then you touch your phone and put it to your mouth. 

In a study published in the Annals of Clinical Microbiology, researchers in Turkey screened the cell phones of 200 health workers in hospitals for germs that are known to be dangerous to human health. The researchers found that nearly 19 of every 20 phones were contaminated with some kind of bacteria, including some ``superbugs'' resistant to one or more commonly used antibiotics.

While most of the time, you’re in no danger of getting sick – there are some extra steps you can take to prevent getting sick from your cellphone.   

AT&T’s Top 5 Tips: How to Avoid Getting Sick from Your Cell

1. Keep your germs to yourself.  Don’t share your cell phone unless it’s an emergency. This rule is especially important for teens who tend to pass phones around or parents who let their toddlers play with their phones. 

2. Wash your hands frequently and don’t rush. Sing the entire alphabet while lathering and rinsing.

3. Follow your phone manufacturer’s instructions and clean your cell frequently.  Example: http://www.apple.com/iphone/how-to/index.html#basics.cleaning-iphone

4. Try using a hands-free headset, minimizing your keypad-to-face exposure

5. Don’t – please don’t – use your phone in a restroom.  Some things can wait!