Scientists urgently warn against using your phone at the dinner table

For many social media-obsessed people, the phone eats first.

But if you’re planning to host your Christmas dinner this year, there’s bad news.

Experts have issued an urgent warning about using your phone at the dinner table – and it’s not just rather rude.

Dr. Gareth Nye, senior lecturer in physiology at the University of Chester, has warned that your smartphone could harbor harmful germs that could then spread to your dining table.

Worryingly, this includes bacteria that can cause everything from food poisoning to skin infections.

“Mainly gastrointestinal complaints, such as diarrhea, vomiting and other stomach complaints,” Dr. Nye explained.

‘However, in people with a compromised immune system it can cause very nasty infections, such as blood poisoning or pneumonia.’

Although Dr. While Nye recommends keeping your smartphone far from your dining room table, there are several things you can do to keep germs at bay if you can’t bear to be away from it.

Speaking to Compare & Recycle, Dr. Nye some types of bacteria that can be found on your smartphone.

“(It) depends on the type of work the owner has,” he explained.

‘Healthcare workers, even if they are not on the front line, can grow a range of bacteria, the most common of which are Pseudomonas aeruginosa (which can cause serious respiratory or skin infections) and Acinetobacter baumannii (which can lead to meningitis).

‘Non-health workers still carry bacteria on their phones, with Gram-positive spore bacteria being the most common.

‘These are linked to food poisoning and other gastrointestinal problems.

“Almost all phone surfaces contain the common dangerous bacteria E. coli and fecal streptococci.”

As disgusting as it sounds, according to Dr. Nye, these bacteria usually reach our smartphones through our own hands.

“Our hands touch about 150 different objects every day, more if you’re a commuter, for example,” he said.

As disgusting as it sounds, bacteria usually reach our smartphones through our own hands, according to Dr. Nye (stock image)

‘Each of these surfaces can lead to contamination with more dangerous bacteria.

‘Once we’re on our hands, the next place our hands normally touch is a phone screen, and bacteria are transferred from every object we touch to the phone.

‘This is especially true when we look at telephone use in the toilet.

‘(Bacteria) naturally find their way to our hands during trips to the toilet, and then to our phones, which will continue a transfer until both surfaces are clean.

‘This can cause the spread of bacteria around the dining table if you also use your phone while eating.’

Experts from Compare & Recycle have recommended the advice of Dr. Nye to heart and revealed five tips for cleaning your phone.

Before you even attempt to clean your smartphone, the experts recommend unplugging it to avoid damage to the ports.

Then remove your phone case and wash it with warm soapy water before letting it dry completely.

‘Use a specialist cleaning agent to prevent permanent stains if your case is made of leather or PU leather,’ says Compare & Recycle.

Run a lint-free cloth around the outside of your phone to remove dust and dirt before using a wooden toothpick to scrape any dust or dirt from the phone ports.

Finally, use a 70 percent isopropyl alcohol wipe or a cloth lightly dampened with warm, soapy water to wipe the outside of the phone, paying extra attention to the areas around buttons and speaker holes.

“To reduce the risk of water damage, avoid spraying liquid cleaners directly on the phone and avoid using the phone’s ports,” Compare & Recycle adds.

It is also important that you wash your hands regularly to prevent germs from spreading.

Dr. Nye added: ‘Good hand hygiene plus daily disinfection of your phone should be enough to prevent most infections.’