Unless something is mandated by law, it is an individual choice. My husband and I are in higher risk categories, so we choose to wear masks and gloves when we go out shopping, but not when we're just out for a walk (while observing the 'social distancing' rules). I would also wear a mask and gloves if I had to use public transit.
We wear N-95 masks that we had left over from a year or two ago when we were doing home renovations (so they are not medical grade). From what we understand, the masks and gloves that we use can be sterilized in the oven, so that's what we've been doing (following specific instructions). Even if this doesn't completely do the trick, several days go by in between use, so any virus still on the surfaces will hopefully have died by that time.
When we are out shopping, we try to touch only the things that we will be buying, and try to be mindful about not touching our faces, adjusting our eyeglasses, etc. When we get home, we sanitize the gloves with gel hand sanitizer first (most of the surface is vinyl or something like that), then take them off and place them in a prepared spot (on a cookie tin lined with baking paper). We take the masks off in such a way that they will not bounce back and touch our faces, then place them directly on the tin as well. Then I use a tissue to turn on the hot water tap to wash my hands. And so on.
Does this guarantee that we won't get this coronavirus? No. We're just doing what we can, based on our apparent level of vulnerability, to mitigate the danger. In our opinion, it really is better than nothing. Ideally, we'll be able to delay getting it until there is a reliable course of treatment or a vaccine (although we're not holding out any hope for the latter).
Wearing masks and gloves hasn't given us a false sense of security. We've simply spent enough time on public transit and in shared public spaces such as the washrooms in shopping malls to know that a lot of people are careless about personal hygiene, even when they are sick, and some people are pigs (picking their noses in public, coughing without covering their mouths, spitting all over the sidewalks, etc.). Since we can't rely on other people to do their part to keep us safe, we're doing what we can and hoping for the best.
I also understand why some people will choose not to wear a mask or gloves in public and have no problem with that. As I said, it's a personal decision.
Regards,
Josephine
