Former ER Nurse Reveals How Fast Germs Spread Even With Gloves On

The COVID-19 pandemic triggered the surge of demand for disinfectants, sanitizers, alcohols, facemasks, gloves, and PPEs. In fact, there is a worldwide shortage of these medical supplies as of this writing because even ordinary people are finding ways to protect themselves from the deadly virus. In a report released by CNN, a former ER nurse shows how fast germs spread even if the person is wearing gloves.

A recent trip to the grocery store alarmed the former emergency room nurse in Saginaw, Michigan. Molly Lixey was pleased when she noticed a lot of people wearing gloves at the grocery store. However, she was alarmed at the level of cross-contamination she saw, reports CNN. In a Facebook video, Molly demonstrates how easy and fast it is to spread germs at a grocery store.

Molly told CNN that "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). 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 added.

In the video, Molly replicates going to the grocery store and begins wearing on her gloves. She grabs her smartphone and leaves her vehicle. She also cleans her shopping cart and grabs some toilet paper. For her cellphone, she uses cardboard while she dips her fingers in the paint to represent the germs on her hands that she catches when she grabs the toilet paper.

The germs are on the gloves, which is fine but, when her smartphone rings and reaches for her phone to read a text message, some of the germs transfer to her cellphone. Molly continues her shopping and dips her fingers to the paint each time she picks a product. The former ER nurse understands that while she has extensive knowledge of the PPE, not a lot of people have the same understanding.

She notes that she understands that the general public would like to protect themselves, but she wants them to do it correctly. Earlier, the World Health Organization said that the COVID-19 virus could spread through coughs and sneezes. However, a new study discovered that talking and even mere breathing could spread the novel coronavirus.