Photo: John Fedele/Blend Images/Getty Images
Like your body, buildings and even rooms have their own microbiomes. Now, researchers have published findings that we can’t unhear: Your office is covered with the tiny bugs from your co-workers’ skin.
The team tested nine office buildings in San Diego, Toronto, and Flagstaff, Arizona, and found that 25 to 30 percent of the germs were from human-skin bacteria. (Most of the microbes were ones that also live outside.) Unsurprisingly, the floors had more bacteria on them than did ceilings or walls. Other terrifying surfaces like doorknobs were not part of the study.
Not all microbes are bad, but perhaps you’ll think twice about leaving your shoes on when you get home.
