Marquis Coleman is an essential worker. Throughout his shifts at a grocery store, he wears latex gloves to protect himself and customers from COVID-19. He also wears gloves when he has to do grocery shopping of his own.
“I’m just trying to be safe,” Coleman said.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), however, gloves may not be necessary to protect people from COVID-19 and are instead giving individuals a false sense of security.
In fact, Dr. Lindsay Weaver, chief medical officer for the Indiana State Department of Health, thinks wearing gloves to places such as grocery stores may be doing more harm than good.
In a press conference April 28, Weaver said while health care professionals were trained on how to properly use gloves — only using one pair of gloves to perform one task before washing their hands and replacing them — everyday citizens risk cross-contamination by wearing gloves in public.
“You go and touch several surfaces and therefore spread the virus around,” Weaver said.
According to the CDC, you can spread the virus to various items and surfaces regardless of whether or not you’re wearing gloves. Further, the false sense of security from wearing gloves may make people less likely to wash their hands.
Instead of wearing gloves, Weaver said the best way to keep yourself healthy while at the grocery store and other essential businesses is to use hand sanitizer and wash your hands frequently.
Weaver also recommends putting your cell phone either in your purse or your pocket and not touching it until you have a chance to wash your hands, as you can spread the virus to your phone and risk contaminating yourself via your cell phone. She also recommends wearing a mask when out in public.
While the World Health Organization (WHO) said earlier this month that it isn’t necessary for otherwise healthy individuals to wear masks, the CDC argued the use of cloth coverings while out in public can help curb the spread of COVID-19.
“Cloth face coverings fashioned from household items or made at home from common materials at low cost can be used as an additional voluntary public health measure,” the CDC wrote.
According to the CDC, cloth face coverings should not be placed on children under 2 years old or anyone who has trouble breathing. The CDC also does not recommend using surgical masks or N-95 respirators, as those supplies should be reserved for health care workers and first responders.
Contact staff writer Breanna Cooper at 317-762-7848. Follow her on Twitter @BreannaNCooper.
