In the wake of the global outbreak of coronavirus, scientists at the Department of Biotechnology of the University for Development Studies (UDS), have cautioned the public against touching surfaces, while observing basic hygienic practices such as regular hand washing.
The scientists have discovered, that even television remote controls in hotels are not safe from dangerous microbial organisms.
The scientists sampled one hundred remote controls from twenty hotels and guest houses in the Tamale metropolis and found ninety-nine of them, representing ninety-nine percent contaminated with E-coli, a bacteria found in fecal matter, and its presence on the remote controls according to the scientists, indicates that avoiding handshakes alone is not enough in preventing dangerous micro-organisms, like the coronavirus.
Dr. Courage Sabah, who led the laboratory analysis of the remote controls, sheds more light on the findings.
According to Dr. Sabah, the level of contamination is not only alarming, but a reflection of a low level of hygiene observed across hotels and guest houses in the metropolis.
He, therefore, advised that hotels, disinfect such basic tools, like remote controls, electrical switches, air-conditioning regulators and others for guests.
