Why the remote control could give you a cold - TV zapper is a ...

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The researchers found that 42 per cent of the surfaces studiedshowed rhinovirus traces.
Six out of 18 doorknobs were contaminated, eight of the 14 fridgehandles, three out of 13 light switches, six of the ten remotecontrols, eight of ten bathroom taps, four of seven telephones, andthree out of four dishwasher handles.
The scientists then contaminated various surfaces withparticipants' mucus and then tested to see if the virus would stickto their fingertips when they carried out common tasks likeflipping a switch, holding a phone or a TV remote control.
They found that rhinovirus's genetic material was present on thefingertips of more than half the volunteers 48 hours after surfaceswere contaminated.
Dr Birgit Winther, who led the study published in the AmericanJournal of Medicine, said: 'Some people still spray the air withdisinfectants, but rhinovirus doesn't fly through the air.
'I think that the message from this research is that we need tofocus more wisely on cleaning commonly touched surfaces in thehome.' Professor John Oxford, virologist at St Bartholomew's andthe Royal London Hospital, London, and chairman of the UK HygieneCouncil, said: 'The cold virus is a hardy one because it surviveson surfaces for so long and can then be passed on, putting thewhole family at risk of infection.
'Home hygiene is key in the fight against colds. By focusing on thekey hygiene hot spots, cleaning them with a quality disinfectantproduct, families can help protect themselves without trying tosanitise their homes.'
The UK Hygiene Council advised spraying frequently touched surfaceswith a high quality disinfectant proven to kill viruses.
Other recommendations included washing hands regularly, cleaningdishcloths properly, and staying fit to boost the immune system.
A previous study by Dr Winther found that germs survived in hotelrooms a day after guests left, allowing them to be picked up by thenext person checking in.