Background
Frequent, repetitive use of mobile phones among healthcare professionals ranges from every 15 minutes to once every 2 hours.1 Even in COVID-19 positive healthcare areas, possession and use of mobile phones are inevitable and possibly critical to the delivery of best patient care. We describe a novel idea that allows healthcare workers to continue with essential mobile phone use safely, that maintains the phone in a clean environment, avoids it being damaged by repetitive cleaning with chemical disinfectants while minimising the implications of the phone itself in potential viral transmission.2,3
Technique
Before going into a clinical area, the mobile phone is placed into a sealable see-through plastic bag. We have found the plastic bags used for specimen collection (Video 1) to be ideal. They are easily available in many clinical areas. The bags are sealed around the phone by the seal that forms part of the bag construction itself. In this state, we have found that the touch screen features and all basic functions including calling, messaging and browsing can be done without problems. After each time the mobile phone is used, the plastic bag is wiped down with an antiseptic wipe with more than 60% ethanol or 70% isopropanol, as per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines to inactivate the virus.4 To assess for any macroscopically demonstrable leaks, we filled the empty bag with water at the end of a day of use and no leak could be detected. When doffing, the plastic bag can be discarded and the mobile phone cleaned with 70% isopropyl alcohol as per the new Samsung and Apple guidelines.5,6
Video 1. Technical tip in use.
Discussion
We believe this technique allows the continued use of mobile phones within healthcare settings in a hygienic way. It also minimises the chances of taking a contaminated phone home after work and infecting others from it, all while protecting oleophobic mobile phone screens from damage by chemical disinfectants.
References
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- 4.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Hand Hygiene Recommendations. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/hcp/hand-hygiene.html (cited June 2020).
- 5.Samsung How do I clean my Galaxy phone? https://www.samsung.com/ca/support/mobile-devices/how-do-i-clean-my-galaxy-phone/ (cited June 2020).
- 6.Apple Cleaning your iPhone. https://support.apple.com/en-gb/HT207123 (cited June 2020).