By Samantha Lamb

With everything going on right now, many people feel the need to wear gloves and masks whenever they go somewhere like the store. While in theory this is a good idea, in practice it doesn’t really help at all. Gloves are meant to stop the spread of germs, right? Well that only works if everyone is changing them in between every action. Medical professionals change their gloves between every patient so they don’t transfer bacteria from one patient to another. This is how gloves are meant to be used.

Most people have been using the same pair of gloves for everything. When you wear the same pair of gloves, all you do is cross contaminate everything. For instance, when you go to the store and wear gloves, you touch the handle of the shopping cart, everything you put in your cart, all of your money or your card when you pay, and all of your bags as you load them into the car. You may also be touching your phone, your keys, your wallet, and several other personal belongings. Now all the bacteria from all of these public things is all over your groceries and personal belongings from your single pair of gloves and is just as likely to infect you.

Many people are leaving their used gloves on the ground instead of throwing them away. This poses a danger to wild animals, as they can eat the gloves or get stuck in them. So, since so many people cannot use the gloves correctly, alternatives should be considered.

It is much safer to just wash your hands or use hand sanitizer and disinfect any personal belongings that you touch. Take your shoes off at the door of your house, and your clothes, too, if you can. These can be washed and disinfected. Take a shower as soon as you get home and disinfect all of your belongings to kill as much bacteria as you can. Also touch as few things as possible while out and about. Do your best to avoid touching and handling too many things such as doorknobs, rails, or light switches. Plan your outings ahead of time to reduce how many times you have to go out; get everything in one trip. Doing these things will help you stay safe and can help prevent the spread of Covid-19.