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https://thenerdsofcolor.org/2020/03/31/the-middle-geeks-episode-11-quarantine-edition/
This month on The Middle Geeks, we’re recording from home, per usual, but it feels different this time as we literally have no other choice of location to do so. It’s Quarantine Edition! In the midst of the craziness that is COVID-19, we discuss how the entertainment industry has been affected, with various movie and […]
Note: There has been zero proof that these “CovMitt-19” gloves work in terms of keeping your hands free of germs. Washing your hands, however, is always good.
One of the official mantras that’s come out of the COVID-19 pandemic is “Do not touch your face.” This, of course, is because viruses and other germs that cling to your hands can be inadvertently delivered to your (vulnerable, orifice-filled) face, resulting in infection. But there are ways to keep your hands relatively clean in the first place, like using these “CovMitt-19” safety gloves. Which the FDA have not approved and may or may not be effective.
The CovMitt-19 gloves, which come via Laughing Squid, are available on Etsy for $12 from thedewdrops. For some context: Thedewdrops, owned by Dewey Tan, is a shop that was established in 2018, but seems to have pivoted to sell only these gloves. The shop’s slogan is “Making some fun Pandemic Safety Gear! (2020).”
According to the product description for the gloves, they can “Keep your HANDS CLEAN when opening UNKNOWN UNSANITARY Doors, Knobs, Drawers and even those nasty pin pads at the register!!” (Capitalization theirs.) The description also says that the gloves help you to “Keep yourself as VIRUS/GERM/COOTIES-free as possible!” Plus, the gloves look like cute little animals like a dog and a monkey, and they come attached to retractable leashes for easy grabbin’.
Despite the complete lack of evidence of effectiveness, the intense usage of capitalization, and a reference to cooties, the idea that these mitts could actually, potentially, reduce the amount of germs you’re carrying around on your hands seems plausible. They are made of silicone (hopefully not “silicon” as the product description states), and they obviously work as a barrier between one’s hands and the objects they touch. Although using them flawlessly is hard to imagine, and there’s no question other people are going to want to stick their hands in your mitts.
What do you think about these CovMitt-19 mittens? Are you ready to slip your good doorknob-turning hand into one of these silicone protectors, or are you going to stick to good ol’ fashion soap and water? Let us know what you’re thinking in the comments!
Images: thedrewdrops
The post ‘CovMitt-19’ Safety Gloves May Be Handy Germ Blockers appeared first on Nerdist.
The retail giant Amazon has announced that it will roll out temperature checks and face masks for staff at all its U.S. and European warehouses plus Whole Foods stores by early next week.
According to Reuters, Amazon said it would start testing hundreds of thousands of employees a day for fevers using forehead thermometers. Anyone registering more than 100.4 Fahrenheit will be sent home. Additionally, all locations will have surgical masks available by early next week.
Amazon said the mask rollout and temperature scans have begun at facilities near its Seattle headquarters and in New York. Workers from at least 19 warehouses have tested positive for the novel coronavirus since the outbreak began. Employees also held walkouts in New York and near Detroit this week.
The company will also use machine-learning software to monitor building cameras and determine whether employees are staying at safe distances during their shifts.
Workers who record a high temperature will be forced to stay home for three days without a fever before they can return. Unions and elected officials have criticized Amazon’s response to the coronavirus outbreak, with some even saying the retail company should close.
Dave Clark, Amazon’s senior vice president of worldwide operations, said the company has changed more than 150 processes to promote social distancing. Clark added Amazon has begun to stagger warehouse work start times and ended stand-up meetings during shifts.
“Nothing is more important to us than making sure that we protect the health of our teams,” Clark said.
Walmart also announced it would begin taking temperature checks and providing masks to its employees. Both companies have increased their hiring process during the coronavirus outbreak as online orders have skyrocketed due to quarantine orders across the country. Amazon has announced that it has hired 80,000 workers across the country and reported a full and part-time workforce of 798,000 as of Dec. 31.