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WHO: why proper washing of bare hands affords better protection than rubber gloves
Apr
Containing the spread of COVID-19 with effective hand hygiene
Regular hand washing is vital when it comes to limiting the spread of coronavirus – a fact that has rapidly become accepted across the globe. Many agencies are now expressing concern that some people are neglecting hand washing and are relying on gloves for protection when they are out and about.
One such organisation is the World Health Organization (WHO), which has recently addressed this issue in advice and downloads for the general public in the form of their Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) advice for the public.
The issue of relying on gloves is tackled in the following graphic which in answer to the question “Is wearing rubber gloves while out in public effective in preventing the new coronavirus infection?”
The answer in unequivocal.
“No. Regularly washing your bare hands offers more protection agains catching COVID-19 than wearing rubber gloves.
As they point out, the gloves can become contaminated, presenting the potential for infection when the wearer touches their face.
The WHO has produced a Clean hands protect against infection resource which demonstrates effective hand hygiene measures.
WHO’s COVID-19 advice and myth busters »
How to wash your hands video
The MediWash mobile hand washing station provides this complete step-by-step guidance for the washer – and the water comes on automatically. There’s no need to touch any taps.