I think everyone accepts that some elements of what we’ve been through will be something of the new norm going forward. Particularly around the issue of preventive actions, including gear.
How much value does wearing gloves really pose for the general public over just good, frequent and particularly timely hand washing?
I’ve heard some suggest that mask and gloves are a good plan. However we already have a pretty big problem with plastic and rubber compounds. If everyone is wearing and throwing out 2 or 3 pairs of gloves a day…
That certainly addresses the disposal but still leaves me wondering about the value. However, I am not suggesting anyone stop doing anything that increases their level of comfort in terms of self-assessed safety.
Given you wash the gloves (and assume you hands) after use I suspect you are also addressing the concern identified below
One reason I started wondering about this is the wide-spread regulations regarding use of gloves by food handlers. It is premised on the exact same logic—dirty hands spread disease.
However, just casual observation makes me wonder if that goal is accomplishes as I see plenty of cases where cross contamination risk is present but the gloves are not changed (just as too often the hands are not washed or the cutting board not changed).
I just took a look—and this is a first look and so hardly a conclusive source I would think—and found this link.
Here is its punchline:
The center for disease control believes gloves raise the risk of foodborne illness. According to the CDC, workers who wear gloves are less likely to wash their hands as regularly as they should. Food handlers who wear gloves wash less because they assume that the gloves will protect customers, but as Timothy Fisher a Fresh Foods Department Manager at Culinary Institute of America says: “Gloves are NOT a food safety measure if the hands wearing them aren’t washed.”
The problem lies in our handwashing culture as a whole, we all know washing our hands is important and yet we rarely pay it the same attention we might give other everyday tasks like shaving or parking the car. But with 97% of Americans not washing their hands correctly we clearly need a better solution that limits the many opportunities of human error. Gloves are not the answer. It is bad for the environment, business operations, kitchen habits, and can negatively affect quality of food (like sushi).
So to me it all comes back to washing hands (frequently). But if we do that I don’t see that the gloves then add value to anything (though may well be missing it).
So two thoughts there. First, this pandemic should (could?) lead to a better informed population about hand washing (and hygiene in general) and perhaps help in habit formation on that.
Second, we now also need to teach people, and get them practicing, good hand hygiene but also how to properly use the gloves.
Getting two things right seems to be more difficult than getting one thing right, particularly when getting the second right depends on getting the first one right.
So from a policy perspective, rather than a personal choice one, is telling everyone to wear gloves a good public policy?
I keep meaning to ask but keep not...
I think everyone accepts that some elements of what we’ve been through will be something of the new norm going forward. Particularly around the issue of preventive actions, including gear.
How much value does wearing gloves really pose for the general public over just good, frequent and particularly timely hand washing?
I’ve heard some suggest that mask and gloves are a good plan. However we already have a pretty big problem with plastic and rubber compounds. If everyone is wearing and throwing out 2 or 3 pairs of gloves a day…
Does it make more sense to ditch the gloves?
I just got a pair of large-size reusable rubber gloves, which I wash after using.
That certainly addresses the disposal but still leaves me wondering about the value. However, I am not suggesting anyone stop doing anything that increases their level of comfort in terms of self-assessed safety.
Given you wash the gloves (and assume you hands) after use I suspect you are also addressing the concern identified below
One reason I started wondering about this is the wide-spread regulations regarding use of gloves by food handlers. It is premised on the exact same logic—dirty hands spread disease.
However, just casual observation makes me wonder if that goal is accomplishes as I see plenty of cases where cross contamination risk is present but the gloves are not changed (just as too often the hands are not washed or the cutting board not changed).
I just took a look—and this is a first look and so hardly a conclusive source I would think—and found this link.
Here is its punchline:
So to me it all comes back to washing hands (frequently). But if we do that I don’t see that the gloves then add value to anything (though may well be missing it).
So two thoughts there. First, this pandemic should (could?) lead to a better informed population about hand washing (and hygiene in general) and perhaps help in habit formation on that.
Second, we now also need to teach people, and get them practicing, good hand hygiene but also how to properly use the gloves.
Getting two things right seems to be more difficult than getting one thing right, particularly when getting the second right depends on getting the first one right.
So from a policy perspective, rather than a personal choice one, is telling everyone to wear gloves a good public policy?