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Cleveland Clinic warns against wearing gloves to grocery store amid coronavirus

Taking to social media on Monday, the Cleveland Clinic reiterated that you shouldn't wear gloves while at the grocery store.

Dating back to the start of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the science regarding preventative measures has evolved plenty.

But when it comes to the warning it issued in April not to wear gloves at the grocery store, the Cleveland Clinic is standing by its advice.

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Taking to its Facebook page on Monday morning, the Cleveland Clinic reposted a story it published in April about "why you shouldn't wear gloves to the grocery store." 

In doing so, the Clinic shared a chart that shared other tips for shopping amid the coronavirus pandemic, including to wear a mask, skip the gloves, shop quickly and efficiently, stay six feet away from others, limit what you touch and only go when you need to.

While the Cleveland Clinic said that it's not necessarily wrong to wear gloves, per se, incorrect use by many ultimately make them an ineffective measure.

“We’re seeing a lot of people out in public wearing gloves, which isn’t wrong so to say,” says infectious disease specialist Patricia Dandache, MD. “But unfortunately most people aren’t wearing or disposing of their gloves correctly, which defeats the whole purpose.

“Many people don’t take off their gloves the right way, further contaminating themselves and others around them,” she continued. “And you should never, ever reuse gloves.”

As for how to shop safely, Dr. Dandache advises, "social distancing, not touching your face, sanitizing your hands after you’re done shopping, followed by washing your hands is a reasonable approach to avoid acquiring the virus in the store." If you want to wear gloves, the following tips are recommended for safely removing them:

  • Grasp the outside of one glove at the wrist without touching your skin.
  • Peel the glove away from your body by pulling it inside out.
  • Hold the removed glove in your other gloved hand
  • To peel off the second glove, put your fingers inside the glove at the top of your wrist.
  • Turn the second glove inside out, pulling it away from your body, while leaving the first glove inside the second.
  • Throw the gloves away in the trash immediately
  • Wash your hands or use hand sanitizer immediately after removing your gloves.

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