A lawyer warns against using self-service checkouts (@carriejernigan)
Self-service cash registers have become an effective alternative in large supermarkets and pharmacy chains, but it turns out that with the convenience also comes a particularly unpleasant side - even nauseating and dangerous.
In a study done on the self-service checkout screens in supermarkets in the UK, a large amount of E.coli bacteria, feces and a number of other bacteria dangerous to our health were found.
Researchers from the Infection Innovation Consortium (iiCON) analyzed samples taken from several everyday objects and revealed that the self-service checkout at the supermarket has a particularly high viral load.
The scientists took samples from 19 items we touch every day - such as railings, doorknobs, keyboards and self-service cash registers - and analyzed them in the laboratory.
They found that many of the items contained high bacterial loads, but the most alarming results came from the self-service checkout which contained five types of bacteria known to cause disease - including enterococcus, a bacteria found in faeces.
In the samples taken from the screens, E.coli bacteria were also found, which cause vomiting and appeared on almost all other surfaces as well, as well as bacteria that lead to urinary tract infections (UTIs).
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The number of bacteria found on the screens is alarming, since many of us touch the self-checkout screens every day and expose ourselves to diseases.
In addition, an insect that can cause a fungal infection was discovered on an escalator handrail, while intestinal bacteria that cause a variety of infections were found on computer keyboards.
Lead researcher Dr Adam Roberts told the Daily Mail: 'We live in a microbial world - bacteria and microbes are everywhere and we come into contact with them all day - every day.
The self-service checkout samples had one of the highest bacterial loads, after we found five different types of potential disease-causing bacteria.
This includes the enterococcus found in human feces - and although it is usually harmless, it can of course lead to disease, especially in those who have a weakened immune system."
He added: "We found multiple examples of E.coli and a bacterium called Klebsiella on computer keyboards. While both are naturally present in feces and intestines, given the right environment - they are capable of causing quite serious illness in humans - so it is essential that we wash our hands before and after eating while working on the computer ".
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Dr Roberts warned shoppers to wash their hands regularly, especially after touching the till screens but also (of course) after going to the toilet. He added: "It's essential to try to minimize their effects in terms of infection prevention and control, so when we touch our mouths or go to the toilet And we don't wash our hands, we most likely have bacteria from these places on our hands, bacteria that can be transferred to other things - and subsequently to other people.
If these people are more susceptible to infections than you are, there could be a problem here.
Our disdain can harm the health of others."
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