Wear Gloves -- and here's why, by Laurie Garrett [View all]

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I'm posting this in response to another post on GD where the question "shouldn't we wear gloves?" was shot down. In fact, wearing gloves is exactly what we should be doing while out in public. I myself keep a pair of washable gloves in my purse and as soon as I step out of my car, I don them. When I get home, I throw them right in the washing machine.

I have a dozen pairs, so there's always a spare pair in the glove compartment.

(Laurie Garrett is a Pulitzer Prize-winning science writer)

1. When you leave your home, wear gloves—winter mittens or outdoor gloves—and keep them on in subways, buses, and public spaces.

2. If you are in a social situation where you should remove your gloves, perhaps to shake hands or dine, do not touch your face or eyes, no matter how much something itches. Keep your hands away from contact with your face. And before you put your gloves back on, wash your hands thoroughly with soap and warm water, scrubbing the fingers. Put your gloves on.

3. Change gloves daily, washing them thoroughly, and avoid wearing damp gloves.

4. Masks are useless when worn outdoors and may not be very helpful even indoors. Most masks deteriorate after one or two wearings. Using the same mask day after day is worse than useless—it’s disgusting, as the contents of your mouth and nose eventually coat the inside of the mask with a smelly veneer that is attractive to bacteria. I rarely wear a face mask in an epidemic, and I have been in more than 30 outbreaks. Instead, I stay away from crowds, and I keep my distance from individual people—a half meter, about 1.5 feet, is a good standard. If someone is coughing or sneezing, I ask them to put on a mask—to protect me from their potentially contaminated fluids. If they decline, I step a meter (about 3 feet) away from them, or I leave. Don’t shake hands or hug people—politely beg off, saying it’s better for both of you not to come in close contact during an epidemic.

From Laurie Garrett's article in Foreign Policy

https://foreignpolicy.com/2020/01/25/wuhan-coronavirus-safety-china/