Gloved hands give false hope of spreading germs and contracting COVID-19

During the COVID-19 pandemic, people are taking extra precautions to reduce their risk of contracting this virus including wearing gloves when heading out in public. While vinyl, latex and nitryl gloves protect the skin from body fluids and certain harmful chemicals, they don’t protect you from contracting viruses including COVID-19.

It may come as a surprise, but healthcare experts say wearing gloves won't give you an added layer of protection against the risk of coming into contact with germs. Most experts say a pair of gloves won't lower your risk of contracting COVID-19 mostly because wearing gloves provides a false sense of security that bare hands do not. Also, germs collect on the gloves as a person touches surfaces and spread when they touch other objects.

The best way to decrease your risk of COVID-19 is to practice proper hand washing, practice social distancing and keep your hands away from your eyes, nose and mouth.