The only thing you can stop doing to avoid COVID, says CDC

At the onset of the COVID pandemic, we were all panicking about how to protect ourselves to stay safe from the virus. But over time, we’ve learned that some security measures are more effective than others. In fact, there is a popular precaution that experts say is not only unnecessary in containing COVID, but can actually spread the virus. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the once ubiquitous practice of wearing disposable gloves while shopping is not only ineffective, but also potentially dangerous.

According to the health authority, wearing gloves in everyday public places “will not necessarily protect you against COVID-19 and can still lead to the spread of germs”. They claim the gloves are “not necessary in most situations,” citing examples of pushing a cart at the grocery store or using an ATM at the bank.

David Cutler, MD, a family physician at Providence Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, Calif., Agrees with the CDC’s recommendation and notes that the practice of wearing gloves in non-medical settings has historically been “unsupported by the science”.

“While the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes COVID can live on surfaces for many hours and maybe days, the likelihood of getting an infection from these surfaces is very low,” says Cutler. “Most cases of COVID are transmitted by airborne droplets. Avoiding these droplets by wearing masks and distancing yourself has been shown to be very effective.”

Experts also say that wearing gloves creates a false sense of security that can even increase your chances of accidentally contracting or transmitting COVID. “If you wear gloves in situations where there is no obvious starting and stopping point, you forget that your gloves are contaminated”, Leann poston, MD, medical expert for Ikon Health, once said Better life. “People put on gloves, go shopping, use their cell phones, touch their faces, get into their cars and homes, then take off their gloves. Their hands were covered, but they contaminated everything they touched. cross contamination when wearing gloves. You are much more aware of what you are touching when your hands are bare. “

If you make choose to use disposable gloves for special circumstances, your handling is essential. After use, be sure to remove them carefully and toss them in a lined trash can. The CDC says you should never attempt to sanitize or reuse gloves, and you should wash your hands immediately and thoroughly after use.

You wonder when you should wear gloves for safety? Read on for the only exceptions to the rule, and for more on which COVID precautions don’t work, check out CDC Warns Against Using These 6 Face Masks.

While gloves are no longer considered necessary during daily errands, the CDC still recommends wearing gloves when cleaning your home. This will help protect you from the harsh chemicals, which many of us use more frequently to sanitize our homes during the pandemic.

These can be disposable latex gloves or reusable PVC or rubber cleaning gloves, as long as you store them securely between uses. And for essential news on our current COVID surge, check out This is how severe the COVID outbreak is in your condition.

You should always wear gloves when caring for a sick person in your home, according to the CDC. In particular, they advocate the use of “disposable gloves when touching or in contact with blood, stool or body fluids, such as saliva, mucus, vomit and urine”. Suffice it to say, this is a policy that has merit, whether the diagnosis is COVID or otherwise.

“If you live in a house where someone has COVID, it may be reasonable to wear gloves to clean up after them and remove those contaminated gloves when leaving their isolation environment,” says Cutler. “But it’s even more important to wash your hands after touching these gloves or any other contaminated surface.” And for more regular COVID updates, sign up for our daily newsletter.

The CDC added this caveat to its recommendation to stop using gloves: Your job may require a different set of standards, and you should always rely on those guidelines. In particular, the agency gives the example of those who work in health facilities, where the regulations will be radically different from that of the general population.

Cutler agrees, saying, “It’s only in the medical setting where gloves become more important in preventing disease transmission.” And for one way you didn’t know the virus can spread, check out The Strange New Way You Could Get COVID, Study Finds.

“COVID germs have to enter your body through your nose – or less likely, your mouth or your eyes – to cause infection,” says Cutler. While this means that you should avoid touching your face as much as possible during the COVID crisis, in some cases you may not have a choice.

When this happens, wearing a clean, disposable glove can help you avoid accidentally introducing the virus through contaminated contact. Make sure you dispose of the glove safely and wash your hands thoroughly afterwards. And to learn more about how the virus is transmitted, see You are more likely to get COVID from someone who does so than from a cough.