If you visit an essential business nowadays, e.g. a grocery store, restaurant, or large warehouse store, you see a graveyard of used disposable gloves and surgical masks. People litter because they don’t want to bring the gloves or masks inside their cars. Even though the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) only advises people to use gloves while disinfecting high-touch surfaces, a lot of people wear gloves everywhere.

Disposable gloves are on backorder for most websites, or they are out of stock at stores. This has caused people to reuse disposable gloves, washing them between grocery runs and other essential errands. Some people are doing this for eco-friendly reasons, in an attempt to create less environmental waste. Others are simply running low on gloves and don’t want to buy more because funds are tight. Whatever the reason for doing this, health experts advise against this practice.

Here’s Why You Shouldn’t Wear Gloves At All

Let us be clear that health officials advise people to wear gloves if caring for a sick individual or cleaning a high-touch area. The reason that people shouldn’t wear gloves outside is that it gives them a false sense of security. The gloves protect them and they don’t need to wash their hands. The World Health Organization (WHO) said that regularly washing hands with soap is a better protective measure than wearing rubber gloves.

Washing Disposable Gloves Is Not Good

According to Dr. Charles W. Page, a Texas-based general surgeon, he does not recommend ever reusing or washing disposable gloves. Disposable gloves are designed for single use, especially if serving food or using them in a medical setting. Washing them after coming in contact with contaminated surfaces can pose several risks, the primary one being that their integrity can be compromised. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration cautioned against wearing lotion under disposable gloves because that can break down the latex material. Finally, washing disposable gloves and then removing them for future use can accidentally transfer bacteria to the insides of your hands.

Just Keep Your Hands Clean

Nearly every surgeon and health official says that washing your hands with soap and water is the best method of sanitation. Disposable gloves are much more difficult to decontaminate. They can also tear and allow bacteria to contact the skin. It is very easy to maintain hand hygiene, so there is no reason for you to wear gloves.

In closing, it is important to remember that coronavirus spreads by entering mucus membranes or open wounds. The virus is not absorbed through unbroken skin, and the skin on your hands is tough, unlike the skin around your eyes, nose, and mouth.

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The entirety of the American population is not on lockdown (not yet, anyway), but a high percentage is only allowed to leave the house to run essential errands. Going out to get groceries is possibly the most essential errand, because people need food to survive. The dichotomy is that you need to enter a public place filled with strangers to obtain groceries. This used to be a normal errand that nobody worried about, but times have changed and now people fear the potential threat of contracting coronavirus.

The new advisory from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has encouraged every person to wear cloth face coverings when visiting essential businesses. Failure to comply in certain cities could mean that people are refused entry to the stores. This goes hand in hand with social distancing measures to help prevent the spread of coronavirus. Some cities have even passed laws that require people to wear cloth coverings at all times when leaving the house.

Can You Get Coronavirus By Touching Food?

Coronavirus (COVID-19) is not a foodborne illness, and it is not likely to survive the acidity of the stomach in the same way that foodborne viruses or bacteria do. COVID-19 is a respiratory virus that is transmitted through respiratory droplets, and no evidence suggests COVID-19 transmission through food, according to Kali Kniel, Ph.D. and professor or animal and food sciences at the University of Delaware. Nonetheless, there are still safety measures you can employ when you go out for groceries.

Have A Plan Of Attack (And A Backup Plan)

Most grocery stores only let a certain number of people into the store at a time to help enforce social distancing. While you are waiting in line to get in, or while you are on your way to the store, plan out what foods you want to buy. Organize a shopping list to get in and out of the store as quickly as possible. Finally, have some backup options because the foods or items you want in the store may be out of stock. For example, if there’s no almond milk but macadamia nut milk or cashew milk is in stock, try one of those options instead.

Go Shopping When It’s Less Busy

Mornings at the grocery store used to be free of people, but now there’s a sea of people waiting outside when the sun’s rising. Call the grocery store that you want to shop at and ask if there is a line or wait times to get in. You can also Google search the store’s name and location, and a box will pop up that shows average times of when foot traffic is high or low.

Wear A Face Covering

Most cities have made this a mandatory practice and the CDC has encouraged everyone to follow this instruction. Cloth face coverings provide a protective barrier between you and other citizens. Wearing them also helps keep the items in grocery stores clean and free of respiratory droplets from people who may have the virus.

Leave The Family At Home

Although people are chomping at the bit to leave the house for any reason, the grocery run shouldn’t be a family excursion. Try to go to the grocery store by yourself. Not only does it make it easier to be socially distant, but you don’t have to worry about children touching things they shouldn’t touch, or keeping their distance from others.

Grab Items From The Back Of The Shelf

The items that are located at the front of the shelf are typically the first to be touched. Perhaps someone picked up a box of vegetable stock, thought about it, decided against buying it, and put it back on the shelf. To avoid frequently touched items, reach to the back of the shelves to select those items because they have most likely been handled the least.

Optional Sanitizing Wipes Or Hand Sanitizer

If you plan on using a shopping cart or basket, you can take sanitizing wipes to clean the handles. If you don’t want to wear disposable gloves (not a necessary or recommended practice), you can carry a small bottle of hand sanitizer to use after touching commonly touched surfaces like freezer door handles or credit card readers. If you use hand sanitizer, just make sure it is 60-70% alcohol to disinfect properly.

You don’t have to overthink the act of getting groceries. Wash your hands before and after each grocery run, wash your produce, and disinfect the surfaces in your home that the groceries touch. Be safe out there and practice kindness.

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You can postpone the 2020 Summer Olympics, cancel concerts, and close down some businesses, but you can’t cancel Earth Day, especially not on the 50^th anniversary. Even in the midst of a pandemic, it is impossible to silence the importance of climate change and the steps we as the human race can take today for a healthier tomorrow.

Earth Day occurs annually on April 22^nd and the theme of the 50^th anniversary of Earth Day is: climate action. It is a pressing topic because climate change is one of the biggest threats to the future of humanity. It makes sense, then, that we should do all we can now to make the world a habitable, sustainable place for future generations.

A Brief History Of Earth Day

The first Earth Day took place on April 22^nd, 1970. Earth Day was a unified response to oil spills, smog, and polluted rivers around the world. 20 million Americans, which was 10% of the population at the time, took to the streets, college campuses, and more to protest environmental ignorance and demand new strategies to protect the planet moving forward. These mass demonstrations worked because that initial Earth Day helped launch the modern environmental movement. As a result, the Clean Air, Clean Water, and Endangered Species Acts were established, in addition to the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency.

Earth Day 2020

Well, as a result of COVID-19, Earth Day events, festivities, and large gatherings cannot take place. That doesn’t mean that celebrating the planet and educating people about the importance of environmentalism has to cease! We can still engage in activities while practicing social distancing. How do you do that? We have some tips below:

Pick Up Trash

If you’ve visited a grocery store lately, you probably noticed that the parking lot was littered with disposable gloves and face masks. Some lots even look like the aftermath of a zombie raid on a large group of surgeons! If you head out to grocery store, take it upon yourself to walk around the parking lot and pick up all the gloves, masks, and other trash that was wrongfully tossed into the world. Obviously, use gloves to handle the trash and wash your hands when finished.

Start A Vegetable Or Herb Garden

Since most people are spending the majority of their time at home, there’s no better time than the present to start a vegetable or herb garden. There are beginner gardening guides to follow and you don’t need a lot of space either! You can set up a small planter in your windowsill, or get a raised garden bed for your backyard. The possibilities are endless! Make sure to do some research about the best crops to plant during this time for optimal yields.

Plant Flowers

Don’t you want to look outside one day and see that your flowers have bloomed? There’s really no better feeling than seeing all your hard gardening work come to fruition. The flowers will beautify your outdoor space and put a smile on your face.

Bring Your Love Of The Planet Into Your Home

Open the blinds and windows to allow natural light and fresh air into your home. Not only does this brighten your home (meaning you save on electricity by not turning on your lights), but it also gets rid of the stagnant air in the house.

Only Run Full Loads

Whether you are using the washer or dishwasher, you shouldn’t run small loads. When you run full loads, you help conserve water, which is a precious resource on this planet.

If you find another way to celebrate Earth Day this year, please let us know in the comments below.

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There is so much uncertainty in the world and we are undoubtedly navigating uncharted territory. If you are like most people, you are probably home all day, except when you need to leave the house for essentials. If you used to workout frequently, where is all your pent-up energy going? Sure, there are workout apps and online fitness videos, but it’s nice to get out of the house for some much-needed fresh air.

Is it safe to leave the house for a walk or run? You bet your disposable gloves and cloth face masks it is (depending on the rules and regulations of your city, of course). Even though we have to practice social distancing, we are not quarantined or in recommended isolation. In fact, Daphne Scott, M.D., primary sports medicine at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City, advises that people go for a walk or run at least once a day. Aside from the physical benefits of engaging in cardiovascular exercise, being outside and exercising can help reduce feelings of anxiety and depression.

Will You Be Safe Running Outside?

Going for a solo walk/run is encouraged, but you should not congregate with others. That means that you should follow social distancing measures, maintaining a six-foot distance from others during your walk/run. If you want to meet up with people you know to exercise, resist hugging them and catch up from a distance while you walk/jog through the neighborhood. You don’t have to maintain distance with people you live with because you already inhabit the same living space.

Avoid Crowded Areas

Some trails or more densely populated areas may have more joggers or walkers because people want to get out of their homes and exercise just as much as you do. Going for a jog in a crowded area means that you increase your risk of encountering people with COVID-19. You don’t want to jog near them; instead, run in less crowded areas and don’t go to running “hot spots.”

Do You Need To Wear A Mask While Running?

CDC guidelines have encouraged people to wear masks at essential businesses, where social distancing is hard to maintain (e.g. banks, pharmacies, and grocery stores). Some states have suggested that people wear cloth face coverings when they go out in public as another preventative measure. Look, we are in a very serious situation, but it can be pretty difficult to intake the air you need while running if you are wearing a mask. The purpose of the mask is to protect others, and you can wear a moisture-wicking face mask while running, if you so please, while maintaining a six-foot distance from others. It is ultimately your decision to wear or not wear a mask when you run. The main takeaway is to keep your distance from others.

If you are running and see someone coming towards you, you don’t have to freak out and frantically sprint across the street (there are cars!). Maintain your distance by jogging around a parked car when you approach the oncoming person. Give the person a wave or say “hi” as you pass them. We don’t have to fear people because of the coronavirus. And as always, wash your hands upon returning home from your run, even if you didn’t touch any surfaces while running.

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The biggest news of 2020 is out and it is: #StayHome. TikTok videos, Facebook couch concerts, Instagram live stories, FaceTime calls, and Zoom meetings have become the norm because people are encouraged to remain indoors to curb the spread of the coronavirus. When people leave the house, many choose to don face masks and slip into disposable gloves, so long as they are available. These are hot ticket items, but do they even reduce your risk of contracting COVID-19?

If you have questions about COVID-19 and how to effectively avoid it, you are not alone. Photos from large metropolitan cities have captured people in face masks and disposable gloves because they don’t want to become infected. Before we continue, it is worth noting how coronavirus actually spreads.

How COVID-19 Spreads

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the virus that causes COVID-19 spreads easily in the community, also known as “community spreading.” This means that people in one area can be infected with the virus, and they are often unsure of how they become infected. It spreads from one infected person to others via droplets in the air that are released via coughing or sneezing. These droplets must be land on others or be inhaled to infect them. It can also spread through close contact (e.g. touching a contaminated surface and then touching the mouth, eyes, or nose before washing hands), which is why social distancing has been enforced. That being said, Amesh A. Adalja, M.D. at Johns Hopkins Center for Health and Security informed that this is not the primary method of spreading.

Disposable Gloves

So Can Wearing Disposable Gloves Reduce Your Risk Of Coronavirus?

There has been no recommendation from the CDC to wear disposable gloves to reduce the risk of COVID-19. However, people who are caring for someone with COVID-19 are encouraged to wear protective gloves. Plenty of people are wearing disposable gloves, even when they go about their daily routines. The sad part is that most people don’t wear them appropriately. They wear them in the grocery store and don’t remove them before they get back in their cars, or they take the same pair on and off when using their phones. Medical latex gloves are not designed for everyday use and can rip easily. Additionally, people have a natural tendency to touch their faces, even when they are wearing gloves, which is the main way COVID-19 spreads.

How To Properly Remove Disposable Gloves

If you choose to wear disposable gloves when you go out to get supplies, you need to know how to properly remove them. Follow the guide below:

• Pinch and hold the outside of the glove near the wrist and peel downwards away from the wrist to turn the glove inside out.
• Pull the glove away until it is fully turned inside out and then hold the inside-out glove with the gloved hand.
• Take your ungloved hand and slide your finger under the wrist of the glove, carefully avoiding the outside of the glove.
• Peel downwards away from the wrist to turn the glove inside out and the inside-out glove will end up in the glove you are removing.
• Dispose of the gloves and then wash your hands with soap and water, or use hand sanitizer.

Face Masks

Do Masks Protect Against Coronavirus?

In short, a physical barrier like a surgical or cloth mask will not protect you from contracting the virus, according to Dr. William Schaffner, an infectious disease specialist at Vanderbilt University in Tennessee. The reason for this is because people don’t wear them properly, often dropping them below their noses or mouths. Surgical masks are designed to be single-use, and people who are not used to them run the risk of auto-contamination (you touched an infected surface, then touch your mask, and continue wearing it). They become useful if you are in close quarters with people who become infected. Unless you are sick and are hoping not to infect others, you don’t need a face mask.

Face Masks Vs. Respirators

The term “mask” has been loosely tossed around, but not all masks are created equal. People have been using surgical masks, DIY barriers, ski masks, reusable cloth masks, and respirators to protect themselves, but most use them incorrectly. An N95 respirator may help protect you from a respiratory virus, if worn correctly, but most places are out of stock. And people shouldn’t be stockpiling these because respirators and masks are needed for people who are actually caring for infected COVID-19 patients.

Healthcare workers need respirators and gloves more than everyday citizens do. People without specialized training may use these items incorrectly and increase their risk of contracting the virus.

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