Wearing gloves or washing hands frequently? Check what WHO suggests

Team Udayavani, May 8, 2021, 12:04 PM IST

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Face masks, sanitisers and hand gloves have become a part of our daily lives amid the coronavirus pandemic.

As face masks can protect users from an infection or foreign bodies that travel through air, its use has been mandated by the government. While few people also opt to wear hand gloves as a precautionary measure to avoid coming in direct contact with a contaminated surface.

However the World Health Organisation (WHO), in a social media post has explained that washing hands frequently is a good option rather than wearing gloves.

Explaining the rationale, it says that wearing gloves risks transferring germs from one surface to another and contaminating your hands when removing them. Also, it is to be noted that wearing gloves does not replace washing hands and the health workers wear them only for specific tasks.

#DYK that it is safer to clean your hands ?? frequently than wearing gloves ?? Stay safe from #COVID19. Let’s stop the spread! pic.twitter.com/tLZG57O3AR

— WHO South-East Asia (@WHOSEARO) May 6, 2021

Measures recommended by WHO to contain spread of coronavirus includes mandatory use of face masks, social distancing, avoiding crowded, close-contact settings, good ventilation, washing hands, covering sneezes and coughs, and more.

Notably, WHO does not advise using masks or respirators with exhalation valves as they can allow the transmission of the virus through breathing spaces.