Solving a doctor's dilemma: hidden germs on cellphones

Doctors seldom go anywhere without their cellphones, especially when there are no working pager systems. It can be a lifesaving tool of communication in many difficult situations or in rural settings, but Dr Libinu Thomas, a paediatric registrar, wondered if it could also be a source of infection.

Her curiosity made her decide to research the use of ultraviolet light to disinfect cellphones, instead of the usual alcohol swabs. In an ICU setting, hospital-associated infections can easily spread via doctors' cellphones when they move from one patient to another.

A family of scientists

Dr Thomas's journey to being a paediatric registrar at Frere Hospital in East London stretched over three continents.

Her family had lived in India and Kenya before settling in Port Edward in South Africa in 1995. Her mother was a science teacher and her father taught biology. She matriculated at Port Shepstone High School. Her love of science, a desire to help people and a fascination with the complexity of the human body contributed to her deciding to study medicine. She graduated as a doctor from the University of the Free State in 2006.

"It was during my community-service year that I realised that I loved paediatrics. Being part of a team helping each unique child and their family is a humbling blessing, for which I am grateful every day," she says.

Dr Thomas married an orthopaedic specialist, Dr Koshy Daniel. They live in East London, where she is working in paediatrics as a medical officer.

"My husband came across a device that uses ultraviolet light to disinfect cellphones, rather than using the 70% alcohol swabs. Many doctors are worried about damaging their phones with the swabs," Dr Thomas explains. "I became interested in doing research on this."

UV light versus microbes in the paediatric ICU

If the UV light can kill microbes, it would be a better option to use in the paediatric ICU, where harmful organisms can be present. "The cost of doing the research was, however, a problem, as the phones needed to be swabbed constantly, and these swabs had to be sent off to the pathology laboratory for analysis," she says.

"I attended the Discovery Foundation's roadshow in East London, and it encouraged me to apply for funding to do this research project as part of my MMed," Dr Thomas says.

"I was elated when I received the award, as it will go a long way in covering the costs of the laboratory tests," she concludes. "This new research will show us the best way to disinfect cellphones in a paediatric ICU setting, and could save many lives."

This article was created for the 2020 Discovery Foundation Awards and has been adapted for the Discovery Magazine.