Most of us have a pretty good idea how easy it is to pass along germs in the workplace.

Probably could have done without knowing just how easy it is.

A news reporter at The National came up with the idea of testing various surfaces in the newsroom to see what sort of bacteria might be there … and the results were pretty much awful.

E.coli, anyone?

Let’s set you up with some links.

Here is the main story in a two-page package.

And here is the interactive graphic that streamlines the information.

The testing was done by a professional outfit that swabbed surfaces frequently touched.

As the lead on the A1 story not-so-daintily put it: “Every time you shake a hand at work, share your computer or answer someone else’s phone you run the risk of picking up dangerous bacteria.”

Which was followed by: “The average keyboard can have 200 times more bacteria than a toilet brush.”

Apparently, the average desk in an office has more bacteria on it than the office bathroom.

The three sorts of bacteria most likely to be found in a newsroom (or perhaps any office workspace) are E.coli, staphylococcus and pseudomonas. All of which can make a person quite sick.

Also problems: Bathrooms, coffee mugs, chairs and the “start” button on the newsroom printer.

And the story didn’t even bring up co-workers who sneeze into the air or cough without covering their mouths.

I suspect the average newsroom anywhere on the planet is not much different than this one.

Where people work in close proximity, eat at their desks, share phones and tend to work even when sick.

So, the results are no surprise. But perhaps it falls under the heading of “too much information”.