I do not like aspects of this report. It is rather misleading. Often, what people don't realise is that there are more bacteria that live on your skin than there are cells in your body, and do they do you any harm? No. Damn near all of them live symbiotically along with your body. So to see high readings on things that people touch a lot with their hands (like the keyboard, mouse etc) is hardly surprising, and shouldn't always be considered the end of the world, which is what reports like this convey to the general public. Your relative chances of your keyboard killing you are so insignificant they are practically negligable. The primary immune system is very good at stopping the odd bug from getting into your system, which is why you dont get a tummy bug every time you wipe your mouth. What people should be concerned about is their cleanliness in relation to things they are ingesting where they are likely to get a lot of PATHOGENIC bacteria into their system. Like when cooking with raw meats, washing after going to toilet etc. All this story is doing is making people paranoid about something that isn't going to harm them. Think about it this way: You've lived this long eating off your desk and typing on your computer and it hasn't been fatal, why suddenly worry about it now?
I have a feeling this article is a little bit tongue in cheek so my following response is hopefully in the same vein. I wonder why Mr Brand did not go the whole hog. Don't play with your pet or your friends pets, wash hands after opening restaurant doors, wash head hands and feet after walking down a polluted city street, oh yeah and after you walk back up it etc etc etc... I am with jebus and wolfman - toughen up and don't take to heart all you read or hear, just take some precautions and everything in moderation (as John Walker once said in a Chelsea sugar adv...)!!!
I wash my hands everywhere I go and wash when I get home..always carry a wet wipes..That swire flu was scarey to all New Zealanders..Gems are everywhere specially in big cities where most population gathered..