Amidst the coronavirus pandemic, there is a lot of anxiety about the grocery shopping these days. And one common sight is of people wearing gloves while buying groceries. From rubber gloves, dishwashing gloves, woollen gloves to even polythin bags, people are protecting their hands from catching infection.
But do gloves really serve the purpose? Read ahead, to know more.
Gloves are like our skin when it comes to spreading germs
Gloves are exactly like our skin. If you touch a contaminated surface with gloves and then touch something else, you are as likely to spread germs as with bare hands. Gloves maybe even more harmful because the adhesive properties of viruses differ on different surfaces. It’s possible that the coronavirus can adhere to the latex gloves better than it adheres to your skin. The thing with hands is you can wash them right away and do your job.
Gloves may give a false sense of security
Wearing gloves might lower the importance of washing hands among people. Wearing them from one place to another just spreads the germs and viruses from here to there. Whereas, if you are barehand, you can get a squirt of hand sanitizer in between your work, or stop for a good hand wash.
Most people don’t know how to take off gloves correctly
If you do not take off your gloves properly, you are just spreading germs all over yourself and everything else. Even 30 per cent of health care workers take off their gloves in the wrong way, despite being trained for it.
The right way to remove gloves
You need to pinch one glove near the wrist and then pull it over your hands so it ends up inside out. Then keep holding that glove in the gloved hand and carefully slip the fingers of your bare hand into the top of the other glove. It should turn inside out and cover the balled up other glove.
Dispose them off properly in the dustbin because if you are not doing so, you are just contaminating moe surfaces and putting not just yourself but everyone around at risk.
Important
Do not forget to wash your hands after you take off your gloves, even if you are removing them right.
Verdict
It’s completely okay to go for grocery shopping ungloved. But regardless of whether you wear gloves or not, make sure you wash your hands. If you wear gloves, make sure to take them off and dispose properly.