Disposable Gloves May Feel Safe- But Don't Be Deceived (Vinyl, Latex, Nitrile) DW News [View all]

'Disposable gloves may feel safe — but don't be deceived.' Disposable gloves do not really protect against the new coronavirus. In fact, they can even increase the risk of an infection for several reasons. DW, April 14, 2020.

In supermarkets, at the weekly market, in everyday life: People are being seen more and more often wearing not only face masks but also disposable gloves to protect themselves from the highly infectious coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. In many drugstores around the world, they have been sold out for weeks.

Using disposable gloves could seem an obvious way to help avoid catching the disease. After all, infection with the coronavirus can occur not only via a droplet infection, i.e. when someone coughs or sneezes in your proximity, but also via a smear infection. In the latter case, if you touch something on which pathogens are present, they get onto your hand. And if you then touch your hand to your face, eyes, nose or mouth, the viruses can enter your body & make you ill.

- Porous material

> Although disposable gloves are worn in doctors' surgeries and by paramedics, they protect the hands only from coarse contamination, such as blood or other bodily fluids. They can protect against contamination with bacteria and viruses only for a very short time.

This is because the material of disposable gloves is actually porous, and the longer you wear them, the easier it is for pathogens to penetrate the supposed protective cover. This is one of the reasons why medical personnel carefully clean and disinfect their hands after using disposable gloves. Disposable gloves expressly do not replace these hygiene rules.

- Deceptive protection

> Disposable gloves made of vinyl, latex or nitrile may give a feeling of sterility, but this feeling of safety is very deceptive. Many people take better care not to touch their face when shopping with disposable gloves — but it can happen quite often all the same by accident...

More https://www.dw.com/en/disposable-gloves-may-feel-safe-but-dont-be-deceived/a-53115350