germs – News Stories About germs - Page 2

The Nastiest Thing in Your Hotel Room Is...

study says

Jun 24, 2012 9:28 AM CDT

The Nastiest Thing in Your Hotel Room Is...

The light switch. Sorry, were you planning to read in bed?

(Newser) - Bad news for germophobes: Light and lamp switches are among the dirtiest things found in hotel rooms, according to a new study. TV remote controls also rank near the top of the most-contaminated list, LiveScience reports. Of course, your remote at home may not be any cleaner, but in a...

Many Med Students
Ignorant on Hand-Washing

study says

Dec 2, 2011 5:25 PM CST

Many Med Students Ignorant on Hand-Washing

2 of 3 rising doctors don't know when to clean hands: Study

(Newser) - Doctors are expected to be seasoned experts in all things health, but a new study suggests that medical students aren't always sure when they're supposed to wash their hands, reports Time's Healthland blog . Researchers quizzed 85 German medical students on different scenarios and found that only one...

Gas Pumps and Mailbox Handles Top Most-Contaminated List

Gas Pumps Top List
of Germiest Objects

Oct 25, 2011 4:35 PM CDT

Gas Pumps Top List of Germiest Objects

...followed by mailbox handles and escalator rails

(Newser) - You may use hand sanitizers in rest rooms, but how about gas stations, mail boxes, and ATM machines? A new survey of America's yuckiest touchables found that 71% of gas pump dispensers and 68% of mailbox handles were highly contaminated with high-risk germs. Next on the list were escalator...

You Don't Want to Know What's on Your Cellphone

There's a good chance it's fecal matter: study

(Newser) - If you’re reading this on your smartphone, you might want to go wash your hands now: A new study out of London finds that one out of six cellphones has fecal matter on it. UK researchers swabbed 390 mobile phones and the British hands that used them, and found...

Scientists Slay
Superbugs...
With Light

Nov 15, 2010 4:12 PM CST

Scientists Slay Superbugs... With Light

Wavelengths cause chemical reaction, researchers find

(Newser) - Scientists have shed light on a new way to kill hospital superbugs like MRSA: literally shed light on them. A set of wavelengths called HINS-light acts by stimulating molecules in the bacteria, causing them to create chemicals that kill the germs. In trials, the process appears far more effective than...

Your Smartphone
Is Full of Germs

Oct 15, 2010 1:09 PM CDT

Your Smartphone Is Full of Germs

More germs than a toilet handle, in fact

(Newser) - Your smartphone is dirtier than the toilet flush handle in a men’s restroom—18 times dirtier, to be exact. A new study shows that “personal touch-screen devices” are one of the best places to pick up germs, joining other fomites (frequently handled objects) that often spread illness, like...

Five-Second
Rule? Better
Think Twice

Jul 20, 2010 1:42 PM CDT

Five-Second Rule? Better Think Twice

Kitchen floors are germ-infested zones

(Newser) - The 5-second rule may or may not protect your stomach from nasty germs (here's a no , here's a yes ), but it probably depends more on location than duration, writes Julie Deardorff, who rounds up recent studies and talks to scientists for her Health Club column in the Chicago Tribune...