If you've recently ventured out of your home for food or other essentials, you've probably seen members of the public donning surgical gloves.
As the number of coronavirus cases continues to increase, the gloves have been adopted by many hoping to protect themselves against Covid-19.
While it may seem like a good idea given the seriousness of the virus, one doctor has a simple explanation for why it doesn't quite add up.
A surgeon, who posts as Dr Karan Raj on social media, has set the record straight on why "you don't need to wear gloves when you go out" in order to protect yourself.
Explaining the risk of wearing them, he said: "When you go out, you've got your gloves, you're at at the supermarket, you're touching things:germs.
"You keep touching more things throughout the day with these same gloves," he said.
"You're accumulating germs, your glove is now more full of germs than your hand would have been if you washed each time."
And as you continue to wear these gloves, it's likely you'll eventually touch other surfaces, such as your steering wheel, which your bare hands could also come into contact with later on. This means you might actually be spreading the virus around.
Or, Dr Raj added: "You might accidentally touch your hand, transferring the germs to yourself.
"And then when you're changing your gloves, you might actually be touching the glove itself."
So unless you've been instructed to do so by a doctor, or due to the nature of your work, you're probably better off following good hygiene practices instead, he explained.
"Just wash your hands, be sensible, stay safe," he said.
