[01] Samantha Hazel Michael, Faculty of Medicine, Melaka Manipal Medical College, Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE), Melaka, Malaysia. [02] Tok Chia Hui, Faculty of Medicine, Melaka Manipal Medical College, Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE), Melaka, Malaysia. [03] Emalin Syakirah Binti Khalid, Faculty of Medicine, Melaka Manipal Medical College, Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE), Melaka, Malaysia. [04] Lim Jian Quan, Faculty of Medicine, Melaka Manipal Medical College, Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE), Melaka, Malaysia. [05] Anushiyavalli Meganathan, Faculty of Medicine, Melaka Manipal Medical College, Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE), Melaka, Malaysia.

In today’s fast-moving and globalised world, it is almost impossible to imagine everyday life without mobile-phones. However, it is also one of the filthiest things one can come in contact with on a daily basis. This study is aimed to assess the knowledge of microbial contaminants of mobile phone among undergraduate students and students’ habits of phone use along with practices of phone cleaning. A cross sectional study was conducted from May 2020 to June 2020 in Melaka Manipal Medical College. A population size of 1100 was selected. The questionnaire consisting of five parts, including sociodemographic data, habits of phone use, mobile phone cleaning practices, knowledge of microbial contamination of mobile phones and the spread of COVID 19 through mobile phone was taken from previous studies and was then distributed online via google form. Data analysis consists of frequency tables, percentages and mean with standard deviation. Statistical tests (Chi-square test) was done using Epi Info Software (version 7.2.2.6). Level of significance was set at p<0.05 and odds ratios were calculated. Among the 214 participants in the study, the total mean score of the knowledge of microbial contamination of mobile phones of the participants was 42.27% where 10.75% of the students have good knowledge, 19.16% have moderate knowledge and 70.09% have poor knowledge. A total of 167 (78.04%) students cleaned their mobile phones and 210 (93.34%) students were aware that regular cleaning of phones was necessary. In our study, it was found that there were no significant associations between gender, ethnicity and knowledge levels in regards to cleaning practices. However, a noticeable difference was that students with high level of knowledge and moderate level of knowledge were 2.15 and 1.09 times more likely to clean their phones compared to those with low level of knowledge.

Mobile Phone Contamination, Knowledge, Cleaning, Undergraduate Students

[01] Soto RG, Chu LF, Goldman JM, Rampil IJ, Ruskin KJ. Communication in critical care environments: mobile telephones improve patient care. Anesth Analg 2006; 102: 535-541. [02] Ramesh J, Carter AO, Campbell MH, Gibbons N, Powlett C, Moseley H, et al. Use of mobile phones by medical staff at Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Barbados: evidence for both benefit and harm. J Hosp Infect 2008; 70: 160-165. [03] Manning ML, Davis J, Sparnon E, Ballard RM. iPads, droids, and bugs: Infection prevention for mobile handheld devices at the point of care. Am J Infect Control 2013; 41: 1073-1076. [04] Harish RT, Kairavi JD, Lopa PT, Saklainhaider SM, Tanuja BJ. Role of mobile phone in spreading hospital acquired infection: A Study in different group of health care workers. Natl J Integr Res Med 2011; 2: 61-66. [05] Featuring the Handphone Users Survey M. C. a. M. Commission, Editor 2007, Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission: Cyberjaya, Selangor Darul Ehsan. [06] Jaya Madhuri R, Saraswathi M, Mahitha G, Bhargavi M, Deepika S, Vijaya Lakshmi G. Bacterial contamination of mobile phones and computers in microbiological laboratories. European J Biotechnol Biosci 2015; 3: 51-55. [07] Boshell P (2013) Your mobile phone is dirtier than you think. Deb Group Ltd, Derby, UK. [08] Deccan Chronicle (2015) Your smartphone has more germs than a toilet seat. Deccan Chronicle, Hyderabad, India. [09] Pathare NA, Asogan H, Tejani S, Al Mahruqi G, Al Fakhri S, et al. (2016) Prevalence of Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus [MRSA] colonization or carriage among health-care workers. J Infect Public Health 9: 571-576. [10] Bothelo-Nevers E (2016) Viruses on mobile phones. MDedge, Rockville, MD, USA. [11] Badr RI, Badr HI, Ali NM (2012) Mobile phones and nosocomial infections. Int J Infect Control 8. [12] Banawas, S., Abdel-Hadi, A., Alaidarous, M., Alshehri, B., Dukhyil, A. A., Alsaweed, M., & Aboamer, M. (2018). Multidrug-Resistant Bacteria Associated with Cell Phones of Healthcare Professionals in Selected Hospitals in Saudi Arabia. Canadian Journal of Infectious Diseases and Medical Microbiology, 2018, 1-7. doi: 10.1155/2018/6598918. [13] Karabay, O., E. Kocoglu and M. Tahtaci, 2007. The role of mobile phone in the spread of bacteria associated with nosocomial infections. J. Infect. Develop. Countries., 1: 72-73. [14] Goldblatt, J. G., I. Krief, T. D. Haller, V. Milloul, D. M. Sixsmith, I. Srugo and I. Potasman, 2007. Use of Cellular telephones and transmission of pathogens by Medical Staff in New York and Israel. Infect Control Hosp. Epidemiol., 28: 500-503. [15] Morter S, Bennet G, Fish J, Richards J, Allen DJ, Nawaz S, et. al. Norovirus in the hospital setting: virus isolation and spread within the hospital environment J Hosp Infect 2011; 77: 106-12. [16] Ganime AC, Carvalho-Costa FA, Mendonca MC, Vieira CB, Santos M, Costa FR, et. al. Group A rotavirus detection on environmental surfaces in a hospital intensive care unit. Am J Infect Control 2012; 40: 544-7 [17] Murkherjee DV, Cohen B, Bovino ME, Desai S, Whittier S, Larson EL. Survival of influenza virus on hands and fomites in community and laboratory settings. Am J Infect Control 2012; 40: 590-4. [18] Weber DJ, Rutula WA, Miller MB, Huslage K, Sickbert-Bennett E. Role of hospital surface in the transmission of emerging health care-associated pathogen: norovirus, Clostridium difficile, and Acinetobacter species. Am J Infect control 2010; 38: S25-33. [19] Kramer A, Schwebke I, Kampf G. How long do nosocomial pathogens persist on inanimate surface? a systemic review. BMC Infect Dis 2006; 6: 130. [20] Rodriguez-Lazaro D, cook N, Ruggeri FM, Sellwood J, Nasser A, Nascimento MS, et al. Virus hazards from food, water and other contaminated environments. FEMS Microbial Rev 2012; 36: 786-814. [21] Nenonen NP, Hannoun C, Svensson L, Toren K, Andersson LM, Westin J, et al. Norovirus GII. 4 detection in environmental samples from patient rooms during nosocomial outbreaks. J Clin Microbial 2014; 52: 2352-8. [22] Greatorex JS, Digard P, Curran MD, Moynihan R, Wensley H, Wreghitt T, et al. Survival of influenza A (H1N1) on materials found in households: implications for infection control. PLos One 2011; 6: e27932. [23] Ksiazek TG, Erdman D, Goldsmith CS, Zaki SR, Peret T, Emery S, et al. A novel coronavirus associated with severe acute respiratory syndrome. N Engl J Med 2003; 15 (348): 1953-66. [24] Delfino D, Scordino F, Pernice I, Lo Passo C, Galbo R, David A, et al. Potential association of specific Candida parapsilosis genotypes, bloodstream infections and colonization of health workers’ hands. Clin Microbiol Infect. 2014; 20 (11): 0946–51. [25] Özkan VK, Sülün Y. Microfungal contaminants on mobile phones of health services vocational school students in Marmaris. Turkey. Mycopathologia. 2014; 177 (1–2): 59–64. [26] Rocklov J, Sjodin H. Hign population densities catalyze the spread of COVID-19 2020. J Travel Med. doi: 10.1093/jtm/taaa038.Crossref. [27] Global research on coronavirus disease (COVID-19) - who.int. (n.d.). Retrieved May 27, 2020, from https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/global-research-on-novel-coronavirus-2019-ncov. [28] Reopening Guidance for Cleaning and Disinfecting Public Spaces, Workplaces, Businesses, Schools, and Homes. (2020, May 07). Retrieved May 19, 2020, from https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/reopen-guidance.html. [29] Cleaning and Disinfection for Households | CDC. (n.d.). Retrieved May 19, 2020, from https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/cleaning-disinfection.html. [30] Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Preventing 2019-nCoV from spreading to others. Available: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/hcp/guidance-prevent-spread.html [Accessed 19 Mar 2020]. [31] Apple Support. Cleaning your iPhone. Available: https://support.apple.com/en-in/HT207123 [Accessed 19 Mar 2020]. Google Scholar. [32] Samsung Support NZ. Galaxy note 8: how to clean dirty glass/screen? Available: https://www.samsung.com/nz/support/mobile-devices/galaxy-note-8-how-to-clean-dirty-glass-screen/ [Accessed 19 Mar 2020]. Google Scholar. [33] Toilets May Pose Risk for Spreading COVID-19. (2020, April 09). Retrieved May 19, 2020, from https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/928234. [34] Yi Chao Foong, Mark Green, Ahmad Zargari, Romana Siddique, Vanessa Tan, Terry Brain & Dr. Kathryn Ogden (2015) Mobile Phones as a Potential Vehicle of Infection in a Hospital Setting, Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene, 12: 10, D232-D235, DOI: 10.1080/15459624.2015.1060330. [35] Kampf, G., Todt, D., Pfaender, S., & Steinmann, E. (2020). Persistence of coronaviruses on inanimate surfaces and their inactivation with biocidal agents. Journal of Hospital Infection, 104 (3), 246-251. doi: 10.1016/j.jhin.2020.01.022. [36] S.n, A., S, A., Mekhanayakee, M., Shyen, W. Y., & Arwintharao, A. (2016). Study on awareness of microbial contamination through mobile phones. Asian Pacific Journal of Health Sciences, 3 (4), 313-323. doi: 10.21276/apjhs.2016.3.4.50 [37] Zulkefly, S. N. and Baharudin, R. 2009. Mobile phone use amongst students in a university in malaysia: Its correlates and relationship to psychological health. Euro. J. Sci. Res. 37, 2, 206—18. [38] Lopez, Valentina Anne; Jeng Young Liew; Pahirulzaman, Khomaizon Abdul Kadir; Kheng Yuen Sim (2018). A study of microbial distribution and cell phone hygiene awareness at Universiti Malaysia Kelantan, Jeli Campus. Songklanakarin Journal of Science & Technology. Jan/Feb2020, Vol. 42 Issue 1, p65-72. 8p. [39] Mills, J. (2016). Here’s Why you should never take your phone into the toilet with you. Retrieved from http://metro.co.uk/2016/03/28/heres-why-you-should-never-take-your-phone-into-the-toilet-with-you. [40] Pal, P., Roy, A., Moore, G., Muzslay, M., Lee, E., Alder, S., Kelly, J. (2013). Keypad mobile phones are associated with a significant increased risk of microbial contamination compared to touch screen phones. Journal of Infection Prevention, 14 (2), 65-68. doi: 10.1177/1757177413475903. [41] Zaman, R. and Helmi, N. (2017). Isolation of Bacteria from Mobile Phones Before and After Decontamination: Study Carried Out at King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. African Journal of Microbiology Research, Vol. 11 (35): pp. 1371-1378. [42] R. R. Brady, A. C. Hunt, A. Visvanathan, M. A. Rodrigues, C. Graham, C. Rae, P. Kalima, H. M. Paterson and A. P. Gibb. Mobile phone technology and hospitalized patients: a cross-sectional surveillance study of bacterial colonization, and patient opinions and behaviours. Clinical Microbiology and Infection ª2011 European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, CMI, 17, 830–835. [43] Shobhna Saini, Dr. Sonia Mehta, Dr. Varsha A. Singh, Dr. Shavi Nagpal. Contamination Rate of Mobile Phones and Hands of Nursing Staff in ICUS with Assessment on Their Awareness of Mobile Cleanliness. IOSR Journal of Dental and Medical Sciences (IOSR-JDMS) e-ISSN: 2279-0853, p-ISSN: 2279-0861. Volume 18, Issue 10 Ser. 9 (October. 2019), PP 01-06. [44] Hassan M. Krima and Mohamed I. Shachtur. Microbial contamination awareness of mobile phones among students and staff of the higher institute of science and medical technology, Alkhoms, Libya. Journal of Sciences and Technologies (Medical Science), VOL. (1) No. (1/2), 2017. [45] Martínez-Gonzáles, N. E., et al. “Microbial Contamination on Cell Phones Used by Undergraduate Students.” Canadian Journal of Infection Control, vol. 32, no. 4, pp. 211–216. [46] Tan, P., & Hee, L. W. (2018). Mobile Phones: What Lies Beyond the Naked Eyes. Current Journal of Applied Science and Technology, 30 (6), 1-9. doi: 10.9734/cjast/2018/42329. [47] Rahman, H., Rozario, S., Fakhruddin, A. M., & Rabbani, K. (2020). Prevalence of multidrug-Resistant bacteria on mobile phone surface. Journal of Microscopy and Ultrastructure, 8 (1), 14. doi: 10.4103/jmau.jmau_7_19.