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BACKGROUND: Mobile phones are excessively used even though microbes' ability to survive on phone surfaces was confirmed. During the COVID-19 pandemic, heavy hygiene practices have been applied to mobile surfaces. Therefore, it is interesting to evaluate the emergence of antimicrobial-resistant bacteria on mobile phone surfaces. METHODS: A random sampling technique was utilized on residents in Abu Dhabi, UAE between May and June 2021. A swab sample from each participant's mobile phone was collected and transported to the microbiology laboratory for bacterial culture and antimicrobial susceptibility tests. Furthermore, a cross-sectional study was conducted via a self-administered questionnaire filled by participants. The questionnaire was used to collect sociodemographic data, phone frequency usage and cleaning methods. RESULTS: One hundred two-sample swabs and data have been included in the study. The majority of participants (91.1%) reported cleaning their mobile phones with wipes and alcohol. However, 100% of participants had a mobile phone contaminated by bacteria such as S. aureus, E. coli, Coagulase-negative staphylococci, Micrococcus, Bacillus, Streptococcus, Citrobacter, Proteus, Enterococcus, klebsiella, Pseudomonas and Actinobacteria. Interestingly, most of these potentially pathogenic bacteria were found to be resistant to ampicillin, ceftazidime and cefotaxime. CONCLUSION: The continuous hand and mobile disinfectant have contributed to the emergence of resistant bacteria.
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BACKGROUNDS: In 2022, smartphone use continues to expand with the number of smartphone subscriptions surpassing 6 billion and forecasted to grow to 7.5 billion by 2026. The necessity of these 'high touch' devices as essential tools in professional healthcare settings carries great risks of cross-contamination between mobile phones and hands. Current research emphasises mobile phones as fomites enhancing the risk of nosocomial disease dissemination as phone sanitisation is often overlooked. To assess and report via a large-scale E-survey the handling practices and the use of phones by healthcare workers. METHODS: A total of 377 healthcare workers (HCWs) participated in this study to fill in an E-survey online consisting of 14 questions (including categorical, ordinal, and numerical data). Analysis of categorical data used non-parametric techniques such as Pearson's chi-squared test. RESULTS: During an 8-h shift, 92.8% (n/N = 350/377) use their phone at work with 84.6% (n/N = 319/377) considering mobile phones as an essential tool for their job. Almost all HCWs who participated in this survey believe their mobile phones could potentially harbour microorganisms (97.1%; n/N = 366/377). Fifty-seven respondents (15.1%) indicated that they use their phones while wearing gloves and 10.3% (n/N = 39/377) have never cleaned their phones. The majority of respondents (89.3%; n/N = 337/377) agreed that contaminated mobile phones could contribute to dissemination of SARS-CoV-2. CONCLUSION: Mobile phone use is now almost universal and indispensable in healthcare. Medical staff believe mobile phones can act as fomites with a potential risk for dissemination of microbes including SARS-COV-2. There is an urgent call for the incorporation of mobile phone sanitisation in infection prevention protocol. Studies on the use of ultraviolet-C based phone sanitation devices in health care settings are needed.
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Mobile devices are ubiquitous in the lives of modern consumers, who use them for information‐seeking and purchasing activities, fostering the emergence of m‐commerce. This trend has been exacerbated by the COVID‐19 pandemic, which has boosted m‐commerce growth in both developed and developing countries. Hence, there is a need for cross‐cultural research concerning the factors affecting behavioural intentions. Drawing upon the hedonic information systems model, we measure the impact of utilitarian factors on satisfaction, repurchase intention, and eWOM through the mediation of enjoyment across two countries characterized by different stages of m‐commerce readiness and culture: China and Italy. Findings suggest that the impact of utilitarian factors on satisfaction is stronger among Italian users than Chinese users. On the contrary, for Chinese users, who use their mobile phones as a primary device to shop online, the mediation effect of enjoyment on satisfaction and eWOM is stronger. With this study, we contribute to cross‐cultural research in m‐commerce and provide guidelines to mobile retailers operating in diverse international markets.
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We assess the ability of Ethiopia's flagship social protection program, the Productive Safety Net Program (PSNP), to mitigate the adverse impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on food and nutrition security of households, mothers, and children. We use both prepandemic in-person household survey data and a postpandemic phone survey. Employing a household fixed effects difference-in-differences approach, we find that household food insecurity increased by 11.7 percentage points and the size of the food gap increased by 0.47 months in the aftermath of the onset of the pandemic. Participation in the PSNP offsets virtually almost all of this adverse change;the likelihood of becoming food insecure increased by only 2.4 percentage points for PSNP households, and the food gap increased by only 0.13 months. The protective role of the PSNP was greater for poorer households and those living in remote areas. Results are robust to definitions of PSNP participation, different estimators, and how we account for the nonrandomness of mobile phone ownership. Furthermore, PSNP households were less likely to reduce expenditures on health and education by 7.7 percentage points and were less likely to reduce expenditures on agricultural inputs by 13 percentage points.
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Purpose: To assess the connection between the prevalence of asthenopia and the use of electronic devices in Jazan, Saudi Arabia, during the COVID-19 pandemic. Patients and Methods: Asthenopia prevalence and its connection to electronic screens during the COVID-19 pandemic were evaluated in an analytical, cross-sectional investigation among the Jazan population. The sample population included 784 participants. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, a pre-tested, organized, and self-administered questionnaire was used as the study method. Social media invitations were used to contact the sample group. Results: Of the 784 participants, 587 (74.96%) had asthenopia symptoms after using digital devices at the end of the day. A total of 56.30% used digital gadgets for > 6 hours each day, whereas 55.36% spent <2 hours per day reading papers or books or writing. Daily usage of digital gadgets did not significantly differ from asthenopia (p=0.46), as well as reading papers, books, or writing and asthenopia (p=0.098). A total of 45.92% of the study population maintained digital devices/books at a distance <25 cm, which was significantly associated with symptoms of asthenopia (p=0.048). Furthermore, 90.10% of the sample population used laptops, cellphones, and iPads before going to bed or after turning off lights. A total of 63.52% preferred using devices while lying in bed. There was no positive link between asthenopia symptoms and cellphone usage at bedtime or after turning off lights (p=0.028). Conclusion: Digital technology is used by people of all ages for a wide range of daily activities, including education, employment, business, and recreation. We concluded that this group had a high prevalence of asthenopia, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. The high frequency of asthenopia emphasizes the significance of conducting public awareness campaigns concerning asthenopia symptoms and prevention methods.