Sistema FMUSP-HC: Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo (FMUSP) e Hospital das Clínicas da FMUSPESPINOZA, Evelyn Patricia SanchezCORTES, Marina FarrelNOGUERA, Saidy VasconezPAULA, Anderson Vicente deGUIMARAES, ThaisBOAS, Lucy Santos VillasPARK, MarceloSILVA, Cristina Carvalho daMORALES, IngraNETO, Lauro Vieira PerdigaoTOZETTO-MENDOZA, Tania ReginaBOSZCZOWSKI, IcaroSABINO, Ester CerdeiraMENDES-CORREA, Maria CassiaLEVIN, Anna SaraCOSTA, Silvia Figueiredo2021-12-162021-12-162021REVISTA DO INSTITUTO DE MEDICINA TROPICAL DE SAO PAULO, v.63, article ID e74, 4p, 20210036-4665https://observatorio.fm.usp.br/handle/OPI/43861Mobile phones (MPs) have become an important work tool around the world including in hospitals. We evaluated whether SARS-CoV-2 can remain on the surface of MPs of first-line healthcare workers (HCW) and also the knowledge of HCWs about SARS-CoV-2 cross-transmission and conceptions on the virus survival on the MPs of HCWs. A crosssectional study was conducted in the COVID-19 Intensive Care Unit of a teaching hospital. An educational campaign was carried out on cross-transmission of SARS-CoV-2, and its permanence in fomites, in addition to the proper use and disinfection of MPs. Herewith an electronic questionnaire was applied including queried conceptions about hand hygiene and care with MP before and after the pandemic. The MPs were swabbed with a nylon FLOQ SwabTM, in an attempt to increase the recovery of SARS-CoV-2. All MP swab samples were subjected to SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR; RT-PCR positive samples were subjected to viral culture in Vero cells (ATCC (R) CCL-81TM). Fifty-one MPs were swabbed and a questionnaire on hand hygiene and the use and disinfection of MP was applied after an educational campaign. Most HCWs increased adherence to hand hygiene and MP disinfection during the pandemic. Fifty-one MP swabs were collected and two were positive by RT-PCR (4%), with Cycle threshold (Ct ) values of 34-36, however, the cultures of these samples were negative. Although most HCWs believed in the importance of cross-transmission and increased adherence to hand hygiene and disinfection of MP during the pandemic, SARS-CoV-2 RNA was detected in MPs. Our results suggest the need for a universal policy in infection control guidelines on how to care for electronic devices in hospital settings.engopenAccessSARS-CoV-2 hospital cross-contaminationHealthcare workers' mobile phonesSARS-CoV-2 on surfacesarticleCopyright INST MEDICINA TROPICAL SAO PAULO10.1590/S1678-9946202163074Infectious DiseasesParasitologyTropical Medicine1678-9946