WEARING gloves in public places is not encouraged, as it reduces the sense of touch and does not guarantee protection from any disease, including Covid-19.

Seremban Health Clinic family medicine specialist Dr Nor Izran Hanim Abdul Samad said wearing gloves could cause slight harm as it gives wearers a false sense of safety.

“For instance, if we were to touch a dusty or greasy surface, we would immediately wash our hands. However, if a person wearing gloves touched the same surface, he or she would not feel the same sense.

“It would give a false sense of safety; involuntarily, we have transferred the dirt or germs to other places, such as our clothes and skin, without realising it,” she said during the Health Ministry’s special Facebook live programme on Covid-19 awareness.

Dr Nor Izran Hanim was answering a question from Facebook user Zarina Rahman, who wanted to know whether if wearing gloves while shopping was a good move.  

Meanwhile, another guest in the programme, Puchong Batu 14 Health Clinic family medicine specialist Dr Izwan Effendy, said frontliners, especially Health Ministry personnel, should be given priority when it comes to gloves supply, since they are directly involved in curbing the outbreak.

“I think that the supply is similar to the supply of surgical masks, which is now in critical demand, so we better reserve them for healthcare workers,” he said.

He said at the moment, the public should follow World Health Organisation (WHO) guidelines in washing their hands and practising good hygiene and social distancing.

“In the end, it is back to basics, to washing our hands, because we need to wash our hands after touching common areas, such as lifts, handrails and such,” he said, adding that there is no right number of times a person should wash their hands.

However, he advised the public to wash their hands with soap for at least 20 seconds to effectively get rid of gems or to apply hand sanitisers.

To another question, Dr Izwan Effendy also rebutted the assumption that Covid-19 could be spread by perspiration. – Bernama, March 27, 2020.