Public transport doesn't necessarily have a good reputation when it comes to cleanliness. Rightly so, as test results show.
What degree of contamination with bacteria should one expect when using public transport? The derma.plus dermatology platform investigated this question. In a study, subways, buses, taxis and train stations in the three European cities of Berlin, London and Paris were examined for infestation by different types of bacteria.
For this purpose, swabs were made at the places that commuters usually touch with hands and clothes. These include seats in buses or the back seats of taxis. The smears examined show similarities across all cities. In London and Berlin, taxi seats showed the highest concentration of bacteria, in Paris it is the bench seats in the train station. The testers found “non-fermenting gram-negative rods” and “Enterobacteriaceae and enterococci” the most. The latter arise in the excretions of humans and animals and in the intestines. The "non-fermenting gram-negative rods" form in standing water such as puddles or in sewage systems or pipes. These bacteria found can cause pneumonia, for example.
The platform's dermatologists advise you to wash your hands thoroughly after each trip on public transport. You should also wash your clothes thoroughly once a week to prevent bacteria from building up. Corona viruses were not part of the investigation.