Why Wearing Gloves To Grocery Store Won't Help [POLL]

NEW YORK — Going out to the grocery store? Got your list, got your reusable bags, got your mask? How about your gloves? While New York State mandated the use of masks or face coverings in public as of April 17, gloves are another matter.

Some medical experts said, outside of direct patient care, gloves are not always effective protection.

An article by the Cleveland Clinic said that, while it's not completely wrong to wear gloves when out shopping, most people defeat the whole purpose by not wearing them or disposing of their gloves correctly, according to Patricia Dandache, M.D.

She explained that the gloves could give you a false sense of security and you might end up touching everything and then touching your face, which could lead to self-contamination.

Marilyn Roberts, a microbiologist and professor at the University of Washington, told the New York Post that the new coronavirus primarily spreads, not through our hands, but through our mouths.

She said the biggest issue is, people are being infected with the virus from other people not by touching surfaces.

And then there's the problem of how to properly remove your gloves. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has a page illustrating how to protect yourself while taking off your disposable gloves.

The bottom line is removing the gloves without touching the outside of the gloves — it can be done — and then washing your hands completely.

The CDC does say, however, that gloves are important when you are taking care of someone who is sick and you come in contact with "blood, stool or body fluids, such as saliva, mucus, vomit and urine."

Now it's your chance to weigh in on the issue. Vote in our unscientific poll and tell us what you think in the comments.