7 Common Items That Increase Your Risk of Catching Coronavirus

2. Phone

It has been confirmed by healthcare professionals that the coronavirus can live on surfaces like metal, glass, or plastic for many hours or even days, depending on the surface. Now, be my guest: What item that’s found everyday in your pocket is made of these materials?

Yes, your phone. “When you put your cell phone down somewhere, it picks up any bacteria or viruses that may be on that surface,” explains Roberto Contreras II, MD, regional medical director of Borrego Health. “You set your phone down and then pick it up, and introduce all that bacteria to your face, resulting in potential exposure to a pathogen that can get you sick.”

Mike Sevilla, MD, a practicing family physician in Salem, Ohio, says that the best way to deal with this COVID-19 magnet is to take disinfection seriously. “Your smartphone can be sanitized by wiping it down using a commercial disinfectant wipe,” he says. “Another option is using devices which expose the smartphone to ultraviolet light, which helps to disinfect electronic equipment.”