AIIMS, Raipur Have Recommended Restrictions On The Use Of Mobile Phones In Healthcare Institutions.

A group of doctors from AIIMS, Raipur have recommended restrictions on the use of mobile phones in healthcare institutions amid the COVID-19 pandemic, warning that such devices can be a potential carrier of the virus and lead to infection among healthcare workers.In a commentary published in the BMJ Global Health journal, the doctors stated that mobile phone surfaces are a peculiar ”high-risk” surface, which can directly come in contact with the face or mouth, even if hands are properly washed and one study indicates that some healthcare workers use phones every 15 minutes to two hours.Though there have been many significant guidelines from various health organisations like WHO and CDC focusing on prevention and control of disease, the commentary highlighted “there is no mention of or focus on mobile phones in these guidelines, including the WHO infection control and prevention guidelines, which recommends the use of handwashing”.