Wearing a mask, face mask and a pair of gloves can make a big difference in reducing the risk of you getting Covid-19, or spreading it to someone else. Unfortunately, using these security measures only works if you know what you’re doing.
Here are 10 ways you can go wrong wearing protective gloves incorrectly, and how to wear them correctly.
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1.- You are taking them out wrong
«When you take off the first glove, that hand is essentially clean, but if you touch the outside of the second glove with your bare hand, your hands could now be contaminated«says Dr. Dimitar Marinov.
Correct form: «When you take off your gloves, you must take them on the edge that is on the wrist and invert them so that the contaminated area is not exposed«, says Dr. Inna Husain . «You need to put your bare fingers under the second glove and «peel» it,» says Dr. Marinov.
2.- You are still touching your face with the gloves
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«Many people have a false sense of security. They think they are safe and start touching your face or masks with gloves that may already be contaminatedsays Dr. Marinov. «Touching your face with dirty hands is probably the most common way to get infected.»
Right Way: «Treat gloves like your bare hands,» says Dr. Rafael Lugo, owner/CEO of Lugo Surgical Group. «Don’t touch your face with gloves that could have been contaminated, as that defeats the purpose«.
3.- You are cross contaminating with gloves
«There have been images in lines of people wearing protective gloves while eating from a snack bag or while browsing supermarket shelves,» says Dr. Leann Poston. «There is no difference between washing your hands with soapy water, touching a contaminated surface and becoming infected, and touching a surface with a glove and then touching your face and also get infected». If you smoke, smoking with gloves does not prevent contagion either, since the germs on the glove are transferred to the cigarette that goes directly to your mouth
4.- You are not washing your hands before and after using the gloves
«Some people hands are not washed before handling protective glovessays Dr. Poston. «If you touch protective gloves with dirty hands that have touched the outer surface of the gloves and then touch your face with gloved hands, the gloves have lost value in protecting you.»
5.- Comfort is your thing
«The use of protective gloves allows some people to feel more comfortable touching surfaces or people that they wouldn’t normally touch during a pandemic,» says Dr. Poston. «This sense of comfort can result in gloves have more germs on their surface than your hands would if you weren’t wearing gloves. Removing them carelessly transfers germs to countertops, surfaces, or other places«.
6.- You are relaxing with your personal hygiene
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«Some people may not wash their hands as often if they wear gloves,» says Dr. Poston.
Correct way: you still have to wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, no matter what protective gear you wear.
7.- You are washing the gloves
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«Washing them with a substance that compromises their integrity is a mistake«, says Dr. Lugo. «They are made with latex and there may be substances that can damage them.»
Right way: «Use soap and water like you would wash your hands if you want to reuse them,» says Dr. Lugo. «Most gloves are meant to be thrown away after one use.«.
8.- You are wearing the same pair for a long time
«It is best to change gloves as often as possible and then wash your hands. The reason is that your gloved hand will come into contact with many types of surfaces, including those with germssays Omiete Charles-Davies, a doctor who leads the team at 25doctors.com, a health information website. «So if you don’t change your gloves often, can transfer germs from one surface to another or even to parts of your body«.
9.- You are touching your personal items
«If you’re going to wear gloves in public to avoid germs/Covid-19, it is not practical to touch personal items with the same dirty pair. I would advise that do not touch your personal items with the gloves you have worn in publicsays Summer Holloway, DMD.
Right way: «Remove your gloves before you reach into your bag, grab your wallet, cell phone, or get in your car and touch the steering wheel,» says Holloway. «As always, wash your hands after being in public and disinfect personal items that you come in contact with frequently, with wipes, i.e. cell phones, steering wheels, door handles, etc.»
10.- You are using hand sanitizer
According to Atom Edenson, DMD, another error is «apply hand sanitizer to gloveswhich eventually it will degrade the gloves and waste precious hand sanitizer«. Use it only on your hands, it’s right there in the name.