During COVID-19, we all want to do out best to protect ourselves and our families from getting sick. One way we can protect ourselves is by using personal protective equipment, like face masks, when going to the store or running essential errands. Recently, there has been a lot of controversy surrounding another type of personal protective equipment — gloves. Are they doing more harm than good when it comes to protecting us from the virus. Should you wear gloves during COVID-19? Let’s find out.
A former emergency room nurse named Molly Lixey made a Facebook video that went viral explaining what can happen when you wear gloves to the grocery store. She explains that when wearing gloves, germs and bacteria still stick to the gloves like they would to your hands. So, unless you are removing your gloves, washing your hands and then putting on new gloves in between touching different things, wearing gloves is essentially pointless for lessening the spread of the virus. To watch that video, click here.
Dr. Karan Rangarajan, a surgeon for the National Health Service, went to the popular app Tik Tok to explain why simply washing your hands is more effective than wearing gloves! He says that when wearing gloves improperly, the gloves can become more full of germs than your hands would have been if you wash them properly. To watch his Tik Tok, click here.
So, should you wear gloves during COVID-19? The answer is no. They offer a false sense protection and make us think they are blocking germs from reaching our bodies, but they actually might be spreading more germs to things like our phones, steering wheels, groceries and faces.
Tip: If you like wearing gloves because you feel like they remind you not to touch your face, try wrapping a small piece of tape around the tip of each finger. You will still be able to pick things up and touch things, but the slightly strange feeling of the tape with remind you to not touch your face throughout the day.Â
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