At the beginning of the COVID pandemic, we were all in a panic about how to protect ourselves to be protected from the virus. But over time, we have learned that some security measures are more effective than others. In fact, there is a popular precaution that experts say is not only unnecessary to contain COVID, but it can also spread the virus. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the once ubiquitous practice of wearing disposable gloves while running errands is not only ineffective, but also potentially dangerous.
According to the health authority, the use of gloves in public day-to-day environments “will not necessarily protect you from getting COVID-19 and can still lead to the spread of germs”. They postulate that gloves “are not needed in most situations”, citing examples of pushing a shopping cart at the supermarket or using an ATM at the bank.
David Cutler, MD, a family doctor at Providence Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, California, agrees with the CDC’s recommendation and notes that the practice of wearing gloves in non-medical settings has always been “without the support of science”.
“Although the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which causes COVID, can live on surfaces for many hours and perhaps days, the likelihood of infection on these surfaces is very low,” explains Cutler. “Most cases of COVID are transmitted by aerial droplets. Avoiding these droplets using masks and distance has proven to be very effective.”
Experts also say that wearing gloves creates a false sense of security that may even increase your chances of accidentally contracting or transmitting COVID. “If you wear gloves in situations that don’t have an obvious starting and stopping point, you forget that your gloves are contaminated”, Leann Poston, MD, a medical specialist at Ikon Health, said earlier Better life. “People put on their gloves, go shopping, use their cell phones, touch their faces, get into cars and houses and then take off their gloves. Their hands were covered, but they contaminated everything they touched. It is easier to forget about cross contamination when wear gloves. You are much more aware of what you touch when your hands are bare. “
If you Does choose to use disposable gloves for special circumstances, handling them is essential. After use, be sure to remove them carefully and throw them in a lined garbage can. The CDC says you should never try to disinfect or reuse gloves, and you should wash your hands immediately and thoroughly after use.
Wondering when you we must are you wearing gloves for safety? Continue reading for the only exceptions to the rule and for more information on COVID precautions that are not working, see The CDC warns against using these 6 face masks.
Although gloves are no longer considered necessary during daily tasks, the CDC still recommends using gloves to clean your home. This will help protect you from harsh chemicals, which many of us use most often to disinfect our homes during the pandemic.
They can be disposable latex gloves or reusable PVC or rubber gloves for cleaning, provided they are safely stored between uses. And for essential news about our current COVID outbreak, check out how bad the COVID outbreak is in your state.
You should always wear gloves when caring for someone who is sick in your home, according to the CDC. In particular, they advocate the use of “disposable gloves when touching or in contact with blood, feces or body fluids, such as saliva, mucus, vomit and urine”. Suffice to say that this is a policy that has merit, whether the diagnosis is COVID or any other.
“If you live in a house where someone has COVID, it may be reasonable to wear gloves when cleaning and remove them when leaving the isolation environment,” explains Cutler. “But even more important is to wash your hands after touching these gloves or any other contaminated surface.” And for more regular COVID updates, subscribe to our daily newsletter.
The CDC added this warning to its recommendation to discontinue the use of gloves: Your job may require a different set of standards and you should always follow these guidelines. In particular, the agency sets an example for those working in healthcare settings, where regulations will be drastically different from the general population.
Cutler agrees, saying “It is only in the medical environment that gloves become more important to prevent the transmission of disease”. And for a way you didn’t know the virus could spread, check out The strange new way to get COVID, Study Says.
“COVID germs need to enter your body through your nose – or less likely, through your mouth or eyes – to cause infection,” explains Cutler. While this means that you should avoid touching your face whenever possible during the COVID crisis, in some cases, you may not have a choice.
When this happens, using a clean, disposable glove can help ensure that you do not accidentally introduce the virus by contaminated touch. Be sure to safely dispose of the glove and wash your hands thoroughly afterwards. And to learn more about how the virus is transmitted, check the likelihood that you will get COVID from someone who is doing it than from coughing.