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Nurse demonstrates just how fast germs can spread at the grocery store — even if you wear gloves

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SAGINAW, Mich. — A nurse in Michigan recorded a video to show just how quickly germs can spread during a simple trip to the grocery store — even when wearing gloves.

In the video, Molly Lixey, a former emergency room nurse in Saginaw, Michigan, uses paint to represent how germs can spread from items in the store to a shoppers' hands.

But even though she's wearing gloves, Lixey demonstrates that the germs can spread quickly. If shoppers get a phone call or a text message, germs can spread to a cellphone. If a shopper itches their nose, the bacteria spread to the face.

Also, when shoppers touch other items in the store, the germs spread to other places in the store.

Lixey says shoppers should dispose of the gloves in the trash before getting in your car.

But even after throwing gloves away, germs can still spread to the car when shoppers are done in the store.

"Look, this is called cross-contamination. There's no point in wearing gloves if you're not going to wash your hands every time you touch something," Lixey said.

The nurse said fear of COVID-19 is making everyone "crazy" and "not acting very smart."

"Don't touch your face. Don't touch your dirty phone," Lixey said.

This story was originally published by Scott Sutton on WPTV in Palm Beach, Florida.