Letter to the Editor: Understand the risks of disposable gloves

I ask the good people of Ireland to stop wearing single-use, disposable gloves as they go about their business amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

While intentions are good, the risks associated with wearing disposable gloves beyond single use, are high.

We would do well to remember that frontline healthcare professionals are trained on the use of gloves and are well equipped with the clinical decision-making skills to determine when to don gloves and when to remove.

Gloves are a weapon in the armory of frontline healthcare workers, and they know how and when to wear them and most importantly, when and how to

remove contaminated gloves safely, without risk to self or others.

We all need to wash our hands frequently, more frequently than usual, and follow the advice on hse.ie to wash hands with soap and water or a hand sanitiser.

Dr Liz Kingston

Lecturer, Department of Nursing and Midwifery

University of Limerick

- This readers’’ opinion will be published in the letters page of the Irish Examiner print edition on March 23, 2020

Useful information
• The HSE have developed an information pack on how to protect yourself and others from coronavirus. Read it here
• Anyone with symptoms of coronavirus who has been in close contact with a confirmed case in the last 14 days should isolate themselves from other people - this means going into a different, well-ventilated room alone, with a phone; phone their GP, or emergency department - if this is not possible, phone 112 or 999 and in a medical emergency (if you have severe symptoms) phone 112 or 999