COFFEE TIME CHALLENGE | S PONSORED BY MICRO-EPSILON
TOUCHING DISTANCE
We have probably
never before
been more
conscious of the
dangers presented by touching
surfaces than we are now. The
fact that Coronavirus is thought
to live on certain surfaces
for days has made us all
understandably wary of what
we touch and of how many
others touch it as well.
This heightened
awareness has placed
particular focus on
the widespread use of
touchscreen surfaces in
public places – including
workplaces, supermarkets,
fast food restaurants, railway
stations, airports, etc. Clearly
these sites are likely to be
viewed with caution by many
for the foreseeable future.
Concern about these
services existed prior to
the current crisis, however.
According to a study
conducted in May 2019, 81%
of people recently surveyed
would actively choose to use
public touchscreens with a
germ-free coating than use
one without. On average,
one airport self check-in
touchscreen tested positive
for 253,857 colony forming
units (CFU). In comparison,
an average of only 172 CFU
are found on toilet seats.
Even so, the pandemic
has brought the issue into
particular focus. Research
recently published in the New
England Journal of Medicine
shows the SARS-CoV-2 virus
can survive up to 24 hours
on cardboard and up to two
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From this to this For this ...
to three days on plastic and
stainless steel surfaces.
THE CHALLENGE
The Challenge, then, is to come
up with a way that touchscreen
surfaces can continue to
be used safely. Clearly
disinfecting them after each use
is impractical and costly, but
can you come up with a better
option? !
As ever we have an idea in mind that we will reveal in the August issue of
Eureka! Until then, why not let us know how you would tackle the problem
by leaving your thoughts in the comments section of the Eureka! website
or by emailing the editor: paul.fanning@markallengroup.com
/www.micro-epsilon.co.uk
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