Friday, June 20, 2008

Keyboard that warns users when it is dirty could banish hospital superbugs

I was doing my daily browsing on the internet and at the same time looking for a topic to post here. I'm a bit techie so I browse for something new about gadgets and technology. And then this article caught my attention, really caught my attention because I use the keyboard everyday and I am not the only one that is using it. I want to share this article for your own safety and health.

Health chiefs are spending £1 million on the latest weapon against superbugs - "infection-resistant" computer keyboards.
Experts at University College London Hospital (UCLH) have developed a keyboard which is easier to clean than conventional designs.It also includes an alarm to warn staff when it needs cleaning.
The flat silicone keyboards will be rolled out in hospitals across England, and it is hoped they will save the NHS millions cut rates of MRSA (MRSA stands for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. See sources below for more information) by 10 per cent.



A red light flashes when the medigenic keyboard needs to be cleaned. This turns off after it has been wiped down
Microbiologist Dr Peter Wilson helped develop the keyboard. Just last month he found the average keyboard was five times dirtier than a toilet seat. Swabs taken from office and hospital desks revealed 150 times the recommended limit for bacteria.
"Should somebody have a cold in your office, or even have gastroenteritis, you're very likely to pick it up from a keyboard," the professor said.
The NHS spends more than £1.6 billion a year on combating superbugs.
There has been a huge drive to encourage nurses and doctors to wash their hands between examining patients but a persistent problem is staff spreading infection by touching keyboards, picking up bacteria and then transferring this to other surfaces.
Research by microbiologists at UCLH has shown bacterial levels on the new style keyboards fall by 70 per cent if they are cleaned every 12 hours.
UCLH microbiologist Dr Peter Wilson, who helped invent the keyboard, said: "Doctors and nurses were going from patient to keyboard without washing their hands.
"That's quite understandable because you would wash your hands between patients but not between a patient and a keyboard."
Traditional keyboards are high-risk areas in hospitals because they can harbour bacteria and cannot be cleaned with water or fluids.
Keyboard covers are also to blame for spreading infection because they are rarely cleaned so hospital workers who use them spread potentially lethal bacteria.
The new type of computer keyboard has hidden sensors to make sure its surfaces are cleaned properly with alcohol wipes.
Manufactured by American company Esterline and distributed by British firm Advanced Power Components, it has incorporated a warning light system that activates every three or 12 hours.
The keyboard is also covered with a hypo-allergenic material resistant to bacterial growth.

Be sure that you clean your computer keyboard before using it because you might not know what's in between those keys.

Sources:

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/mrsa/DS00735
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-1026739/Keyboard-warns-users-dirty-ban


14 comments:

Yesha said...

wah. yan problema ko sa keyboard ko. madumi na. may maliit akong brush na ginagamit panlinis kaso ala pa rin. kainez. lol.

anyway, busy po ako kse yun global project na ginagawa ko since last week, di pa rin matapos-tapos. grrr. hopefully, matapos na tonight. hay.

saka yun poem ko for neo, ehehe. online friend ko lang sya. di pa kami actually nagmeet. kaso close na talaga kami. sya yun madalas nagkakalat sa chatbox ko. haha. thanks sa comment. =]

Justkyut said...

hmmm.. aga mo po atang nasa work tonight?

have you tried using po alcohol swabs? ung parang maliit na cloth na may alcohol.

kelan po ba deadliest deadline nyan? =)

a gnon po ba. buti ka pa meron kng online fren napag sasabihan mo ng anik anik. ako nauubusan na ng frendster kase sa gabi ako giseng hehehe.. curious lang po, di po ngseselos hubby mo? =)

Yesha said...

ngayon ang deadline, true na 'to. wahhh. lol.

actually, karamihan ng friends ko ngayon, online na. ala na ko masyado friends na nakakasama. kaya lahat kausap ko sa net na lang. nope, di sya nagseselos kse kinukwento ko naman din sa kanya sino mga friendship ko online. ^^

Justkyut said...

ngayon na deadline? e di tapos ka na niyan? =)

a ok.. di ko alam na nagreply ka pala dito kase kala ko di ka pa tapos sa work mo

ellie said...

excellent post on keyboard. i definitely eat at mine toooooo much.

Justkyut said...

thanks elle for reading my post... i really posted this because i know we are using our computer keyboards everyday and i want us to be aware. imagine, your own keyboard can be dirtier than your toilet... thanks again!

RAV Jr said...

Yay!!! di pa naman natin maiwasan na di gumamit ng public pc, buti na lng kung palagi nating dala ang private pc nating...

tyy po for sharing this info, bka next time, i-suggest ko sa microbio students namin na ang itest nila ang mga key borads pra malaman kung ano-anong mga bacteria ang makikita dito...

thaks jstkyut!

Justkyut said...

onga Sir Dops di talaga natin maiwasang di gumamit ng public computer, lalo na ako kasama sa work ko ang paggamit ng computer (na di akin, LOL)

cge nga Sir, ipa-test mo sa mga microbio students mo kung ano ang mga bacteria na makukuha sa computer keyboard. Paki post po ang results para malaman natin.

Thanks din po Sir Dops!

Yesha said...

hindi pa rin namin natapos yun global project. wahhh. yun lang daw. yari kami bukas. T_T

ay, i hope you had a grrrreat weekend daw. weeee.

Justkyut said...

ay pano niyan e kung di niyo matapos bukas?

bakit naman po may "daw" ang message mo? LOL!

hay maulan ang weekends kaya di ko ma gawa ang gusto ko. laging brownout dahil sa bagyo kaya di me maka post ng bago dito. nasa work ka?

Yesha said...

tatapusin na lang daw namin bukas. ahehehe.

ay, masanay ka na sa kin. na lagi may "daw" yun mga sentences ko. kse daw, nagaya ko yun ke neo/harold. lol.

Justkyut said...

ah okay.. ganon po ba daw? LOL

e di mainam kung bukas na lang tatapusin. e di extended ang deadliest deadline?

malakas pa ba ulan dyan?

pambihira naman dito, ang lakas ng aircon namin naka jacket na ko ng makapal naka bonnet at naka hood malamig pa rin grrrrrr!

Yesha said...

mejo mahina na ngayon. kanina nga, nagpunta pa kami sa alabang, bumabagyo. dami nadaanan na baha. hehehe. pero ok lang. saya naman. buti na lang di tumirik yun car namin. lol.

anyway, sleep na ko. aja lang. kelangan mo lang daw ata ng kayakap jan. nyahahaha. peace out. =]

Justkyut said...

buti naman di ka na baha..

ok cge sleep tight w/ snoring hehehe...

ah eh.. nasa bahay ko po ung taga akap ko e hehehe

 

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