Masks And Gloves: The Precaution Pair

Masks And Gloves: The Precaution Pair
Ear Nose And Throat

The Coronavirus pandemic has now officially let countries stop functioning. It has restricted people to their homes and has killed thousands across the globe. The news and the data we hear every day is so overwhelming. All the authorities, the government, and the frontline workers are trying their best to break the chain and stop the spread of this virus, but it is a task, and it will take time. Therefore, people need to protect themselves until the virus is contained or a vaccine is found.

When it comes to protecting yourself, complying with all the precautionary measures proposed by the government is important. However, there is one thing that isn’t mentioned and isn’t given that much importance - wearing gloves.

This is a debatable topic for most, but I believe, that as much as wearing a mask is important to protect yourself from being infected, so is wearing gloves. The reason behind this is that masks often irritate the nose and can make the face itchy, and to soothe that, we tend to touch our nose and face. This increases the chances of transferring the virus from an infected hand to the nose and mouth through which it enters the body.

Having gloves on reminds us to not touch the face, in turn helping us keep the virus at bay. Wearing gloves will also help you from not touching anything unnecessarily and infecting your hands, as it will keep reminding you about the threat that’s buoyant in the environment.

Having stated the importance of wearing gloves, I want to clarify that you do not need to wear latex, examination gloves, it is important to preserve those for healthcare workers. You can wear a pair of washable and reusable kitchen gloves, your cotton/fabric or woolen gloves or any other kind of rubber gloves will also work just fine.

The idea here is to prevent you from leading the virus to your nose, eyes or mouth and letting it enter your body because this is how the virus gets you infected. Wearing gloves will keep you conscious that you are not supposed to touch the face. This way, you’ll reduce the chances of getting yourself infected.

 

Dr Prashanth R Reddy

Consultant ENT & Endoscopic Skull Base Surgeon, BGS Gleneagles Global Hospital

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article belong solely to the author. They do not reflect the opinions or views of the organization.

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