Covid 19 coronavirus: Nurse demonstrates how fast germs spread while wearing gloves

Former emergency nurse Molly Lixey noticed shoppers at a Michigan supermarket were also wearing personal protection equipment. Photo / Molly Lixey Facebook

A US nurse who has become concerned about people cross-contaminating at supermarkets has demonstrated how fast germs can spread — including on gloves.

As New Zealand continues being in lockdown, people have been able to access supermarkets for essential products.

For some customers, the fear of catching Covid-19 has prompted them to wear gloves and a mask for protection.

Former emergency nurse Molly Lixey noticed shoppers at a Michigan supermarket were also wearing personal protection equipment (PPE), CNN reports.

Even though she commended those for wearing gloves, she was shocked by the cross-contamination she witnessed.

Former emergency nurse Molly Lixey noticed shoppers at a Michigan supermarket were also wearing personal protection equipment. Photo / Molly Lixey Facebook

So she decided to share a video on Facebook to demonstrate how quick and easy it is to spread germs at a grocery store with the use of paint.

"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)," she told CNN.

"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."

In her video, Lixey simulates going to the supermarket by putting on gloves, grabbing her mobile phone as she leaves the car.

She then pretends to clean a shopping trolley before grabbing some toilet paper.

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Lixey then dips her gloves to demonstrate the "germs" coming from the toilet paper.

The paint then transfers to her phone as she pretends to text someone.

It then ends up on her face which she touches because her nose is itchy.

Then she simulates a phone call which shows the paint transferring to her cheek, symbolising the germs that would have travelled to her face.

• Covid19.govt.nz: The Government's official Covid-19 advisory website

Even after she takes the gloves off, Lixey shows the paint winding up on her makeshift phone, which she holds after taking the gloves off - ultimately resulting in cross-contamination.

"There's no point in wearing gloves if you're not gonna wash your hands every time you touch something," she said in the video.

She advises people need to clean their hands all the time after touching potentially contaminated items, to clean their phone and not touch their face while they are out.

Lixey currently works inside an infusion clinic at a doctor's office, but said if the virus continues to spread in her area more, she would work in a hospital.