The coronavirus outbreak has surged panic amongst civilians around the world. The imminent threat of a contagious virus has left people taking major precautions to try and prevent the spread; which includes the use of gloves. However, there seems to be contradictory evidence that shows that the use of gloves would actually make contamination worse. In a video posted by former emergency room nurse, Molly Lixey, she demonstrates the effect of cross-contamination while using latex gloves.
On her trip to the grocery store, Molly noticed that many people at the store were wearing gloves and touching many of the objects around them. Molly was satisfied that she saw people take preventative measures, but unfortunately, it was not doing anything at all to fight cross-contamination. “I was doing some painting around the house and it hit me that paint would be a perfect medium to use to explain this (cross-contamination), “ she told CNN. “It terrifies me to think people believe they’re safe only because they are wearing gloves and not have them be aware that they could still be harming themselves or others,” she stated.
Molly’s video emulates actions of going to the grocery store and the consequences of wearing gloves. She begins to demonstrate putting on her gloves in her car and then reaching for her simulated phone. Afterwards, she enters the store, puts the phone on her cart, and then grabs a roll of toilet paper. The germs from the toilet paper are illustrated by green paint that Molly utilizes as a visual aide. Molly then goes on to a scenario in which she answers a phone call from her husband, scratches her nose, and answers another call from her mom.
You can see that the green paint has contaminated her nose and cheek which indicates the spread of the virus to her face. Molly then takes off her gloves and also shows us her contaminated phone to bring further proof of the cross-contamination that transpired.
“But it’s on my gloves, that’s fine right” It’s on my gloves,” she said in her video. Molly reiterated this to show how comfortable it is for the general populace to assume that they are being protected at all times while wearing gloves. “I understand as a nurse I have had extensive training in the use of PPE, but many people in the general public have not,” she mentioned. “They are all so fearful fright now they will do anything to protect themselves, but it’s important they do so properly.”
At the end of the video, Molly refocuses her central message by stating that, “There’s no point in wearing gloves, if you’re not gonna wash your hands every time you touch something,”. Molly is currently occupied at an infusion clinic at a doctor’s office and has mentioned she would be willing to go back to working at a hospital if the spread of the virus increased in her general area.
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