You need to disinfect your Fitbit or Apple Watch watch regularly, researchers have hammered after a study found high levels of bacterial colonies on the straps.
“The amount and taxonomy of bacteria found on the wristbands shows that regular disinfection of these surfaces is necessary,” emphasized the study’s lead author, Dr. Nwadiuto Esiobu of Florida Atlantic University, according to The Telegraph on Thursday.
The study was conducted on about twenty watches randomly collected from men and women from diverse backgrounds, including firefighters, veterinarians, office workers and even gym enthusiasts, said the researcher who led the team.
However, it would have a high incidence of E. coli in 60% of cases, Staphylococcus in 85% of cases, the causative agent of many infections, especially of the skin, and Pseudomonas in 85% of cases, which can infect the blood or blood, revealed lungs, on a third of the watches.
While these three types of bacteria occur naturally on human skin and would be harmless in most cases, they can be dangerous if injured, the paper said.
For this reason, healthcare professionals and people close to immunocompromised people should take extra care to properly disinfect their watches and do so regularly, the researcher continues, who believes that headphones and cell phones should also be examined in this way .
“Porous and static wristbands tend to attract bacteria,” the researcher added, noting that when it comes to bacteria, fabric wristbands are the most common, followed by plastic, rubber, leather, and then metal. The gold bracelets have antimicrobial properties, British media concluded.