[–] Broc_Lia 0 points 37 points 37 points (+37|-0) ago (edited ago)
As much as I hate McDonalds, that's a real shitty article.
Senior lecturer in microbiology at London Metropolitan University Dr Paul Matewele said: ‘We were all surprised how much gut and faecal bacteria there was on the touchscreen machines.
Faecal bacteria are everywhere there's humans. There's some on your phone/keyboard right now, washing doesn't get it all off. I doubt there's any public venue you wouldn't find it if you swabbed the menus.
These cause the kind of infections that people pick up in hospitals.
That's such a broad statement it's ridiculous.
A screen at one branch was found to have staphylococcus, a bacteria that can cause blood poisoning and toxic shock syndrome. Dr Matewele said: ‘Seeing Staphylococcus on these machines is worrying because it is so contagious.
"Staphylococcus includes at least 40 species. Of these, nine have two subspecies, one has three subspecies, and one has four subspecies.[4] Most are harmless and reside normally on the skin and mucous membranes of humans and other organisms."
So another scare-quote from a dindu who either doesn't know what he's talking about, or is only interested in what he's getting paid.
"‘There is a lot of worries at the moment that staphylococcus is becoming resistant to antibiotics. However, it is still really dangerous in places like Africa where it can cause toxic shock.’"
Yes, some staphylococci can become resistant to anti-biotics... in places with large amounts of antibiotics like hospitals. I don't think this is likely to happen in mickey ds.
Bottom line, all of the names he's listing are broad categories of bacteria, not specific species. And while some of the members of those categories can cause illnesses, they have to get to the right place to do it. If our immune systems were so weak that this was a threat we'd have much bigger things to worry about than fast food touchscreens. We'd be in mortal danger just from taking a walk in a park.
[–] McHammered111 ago
Indeed. There's not a whole lot of overlap between people who are hygienic and people who eat McDonald's. It's the Walmart of fast food.
[–] SavedbyJCfromRSA_MK 0 points 8 points 8 points (+8|-0) ago
I went from being alarmed by the article to being calmed down by your reasoning that dug deeper. It's hard to grasp that most issues are more complex than we want life to be. Thank you.
Even so, I'm going to try using my knuckles on the next cash machine. Getting creeped out about germs, it's hard for us humans to forget. Our skin houses some 800 interactive bacteria species, on a good day. Most are providing beneficial services of which we know very little. Our gut has lots more going on than we want to even think about. Their cells inside and out, outnumber "our" cells.
The researcher has done us all a service in raising awareness. This infection vector goes from screen to mouth in a minute. The science explanation was too simplistic, when isn't it? For E coli, I read it takes about 10,000 cells to cause an infection, one isn't enough.
[–] Broc_Lia 0 points 3 points 3 points (+3|-0) ago
Not saying you should eat at McDonalds' either, I don't. But not because the food isn't clean, I just expect that of restaurants.
Even so, I'm going to try using my knuckles on the next cash machine.
Probably not a bad idea. Here's another one, cough into the crook of your elbow, not your hand. That way you don't spread as many germs.
For E coli, I read it takes about 10,000 cells to cause an infection, one isn't enough.
It's all a numbers game. Same goes for most illnesses, viruses, cancer, parasites etc.
[–] itsALWAYStheBANKERS 0 points 1 point 1 point (+1|-0) ago
Yeah. Saying that all staphylococcus can cause sepsis is absurd. They CAN cause it but it's a 10*(-)50 probability of it
[–] whitesilk 0 points 1 point 1 point (+1|-0) ago (edited ago)
I am a nurse and I have known about and avoided this for years. In the grocery store checkout-- touch screens and buttons, airport touch screens, elevator buttons, door handles, anywhere John Q Public has touched is a petri dish of disease-- Gross!
[–] Justice_Will_Prevail 0 points 2 points 2 points (+2|-0) ago
In the hospital where we used to live there was a staph outbreak... and guess where it came from? Medical personnel using a shared key board in patients rooms without hand washing. CDC did a bunch of tests... and it was all over their cell phones too. So believe me, it ain't just John Q Public.
[–] Fried-Laptop 0 points 2 points 2 points (+2|-0) ago
ill take a mcdoo-doo..w/ bacon, a chef-salmonela.. ranch dressing, plz, 6pc coronamc-nuggets also w/ ranch, & medium diet e.coli..
$20 Fucking DOLLARS?!?!?!?
[–] slwsnowman40 0 points 3 points 3 points (+3|-0) ago
That's like $30 the last time I broke down and ate that shit.
[–] Fried-Laptop ago (edited ago)
well, its been a while since i had any fast food. about as long as i gave up tv.. like 2015-ish
[–] binrobinro 0 points 2 points 2 points (+2|-0) ago
Now they'll have to hire someone wearing latex gloves to touch it for you.
What would be nice is if you could select things on a touchscreen by hovering your hand/finger directly over the selection, and sensors can detect the proximity of your finger in that location. McDonalds is pure poison, but generally speaking I think that would solve the poo problem... probably at the cost of more expensive machines.
[–] Crikes 0 points 2 points 2 points (+2|-0) ago
...and every other surface on Earth.