TRUE: SHARE
Claim:
Wearing gloves does not protect you from cross-contamination.
Answer:
The UK Government advises that you wash your hands regularly for 20 seconds to prevent transfer of COVID-19.
FURTHER INFORMATION
In this video, a US nurse explains that even with gloves, you can become contaminated with COVID-19, illustrating contamination with paint.
The National Health Service (UK) recommends that you wash your hands with soap and water often for at least 20 seconds, including washing your hands as you get home, and not to touch your eyes, nose or mouth if your hands are not clean.
Public Health England told The Independent that “[it] is not recommending the use of gloves as a protective measure against COVID-19 for the general public”, and that “People concerned about the transmission of infectious diseases should prioritise good personal, respiratory and hand hygiene”.
SOURCE
National Health Service (NHS) – ‘Advice for everyone – Coronavirus (COVID-19)’
Origins of Claim
FULL TEXT OF CLAIM
I’m seeing a lot of people out in public wearing gloves right now, that’s great, if you wanna wear gloves, that’s all fine and well. You absolutely can but I want to remind you of a little thing called cross-contamination. So let’s say I’m in my car and I’m getting ready to go into store, so I put my gloves on. Then I grab my cell phone. For this purpose, this cardboard is going to be my cell phone. So now I go into [sic] and I’ve got my phone, maybe it’s in my pocket or maybe it’s in the car. I’ve grabbed my wipes and cleaned up my car, and I’ve cleaned everything off, but I’ve still got my gloves on. So now I’m in [sic] getting my groceries and I reach for something and let’s just say I reach for toilet paper, right? I take my toilet paper, and I put it in my cart, and now if you can see I have all these germs, on my hands, from my toilet paper. But it’s on my car, it’s on my gloves, that’s fine right? You know, I’m walking along, and my phone rings. So, I’ve now touched my hands a couple of times, I reach for my phone. I have a text message from my husband to get more chicken, we need chicken tonight for dinner. So let me text him back: honey I got it. I put my phone back and my card, I continue reaching for things, I continue getting groceries, and then you know I keep touching everything. Here, my nose itches, let me itch my nose, now my phone’s ringing, it’s my mum she needs me to get her something. Hi! Hello Mum! What can I do for you? Hi, Hi! Oh my goodness! Look at all this bacteria. But now it is okay, it’s totally fine because I am wearing my gloves. I have my gloves on, I am so safe in my gloves. I’m done, I’ve paid, I’m all done at the grocery store. My phone is back in my pocket. I get to my car, I reach for my car door handle. I’m all done with my gloves, and I don’t want these dirty gloves in my car right? What shall I do with my gloves? Let’s see, you take them off appropriately and they belong in the trash. In the trash can, people. Instead of putting them in the parking lot next to your vehicle. Please put them in the trash. So now your gloves are off, your hands are clean. You are in your car, you are safe right? Your phone rings again. Oh let me pick up my phone, hello, hello. Look: this is called cross contamination. There’s no point in wearing gloves, if you are not going to wash your hands every time you touch something. There’s no point frankly. So, do whatever makes you feel safe. Remember, there is some science here. All this fear is manifesting people into being crazy. So, 1) go ahead wear your gloves but you need to clean your hands all the time. Don’t touch your face. Don’t touch your dirty phone. Secondly, throw your gloves in the trash. They do not belong in the parking lot, on the ground. I’m done, I’m done with my craziness. Bye.
