Are you still wearing rings?

[Coffeeandcrumpet]

I was out this weekend and noticed a lady wearing loads of massive rings, she was washing her hands at the time but there is no way should could effectively clean her hands with massive baubles on her fingers and it got me thinking how many people are still wearing rings? I took mine off in March and haven't worn them since as you can't clean your hands effectively wearing them. Why has this not been communicated to people?

@trixiebelden77

I never wear rings. I’m an ICU dr.

Everyone’s enjoying their ROFLs here but I’m wondering how many people who feel one can wash properly with rings on would be happy with their healthcare workers wearing them? Every ICU I’ve worked in has required ‘bare below the elbows’; most make an exception for a plain wedding ring but certainly nothing with stones. I’m really pleased to hear that was all wasted and the consensus is it’s fine and perfectly clean.

But the point is that I imagine you didn’t wear rings pre Covid due to the infection risk either? If you’re concerned about rings preventing you from washing your hands properly, why would you wear them ever? Other serious viruses exist.

I agree with PP in that if your job involved removing of rings and other jewellery for infection control then I hope you were doing that pre covid.

But for me I am happy to accept my fate to wear my rings. No way am I removing them.

I've pulled all my finger nails out, just as a precaution.
Makes scratching my head a bit ineffective though. I

I'm not wearing mine, because of comfort and not going out much.

I took my rings off in March and haven’t put them back on yet. I still feel married though so all is good!

I am just doing what I can to keep everyone around me safe.....

Washing hands is always important but right now it’s critical that everyone puts a bit more of an effort in the wider community rather than just the hcp.

I’d like to see plain wedding bands banned by infection control nurses for all staff not just clinical.

Plus the amount of hand washing and anti bac will probably trash them anyway.

If it is such a risk, as the "I am a nurse" posters are telling us, then why did you only remove them in March? There are 100s and 100s of viruses around that are very dangerous. Why only for this one?

I only wear a wedding and engagement ring normally but I took mine off because my fingers were getting sore underneath from the hand washing and alcohol gel. I probably won't bother putting them back on tbh, I've tried a couple of times and they get on my nerves now. I was always pretty hit and miss about wearing them anyway and DH rarely wears his either

@Fluffycloudland77

Washing hands is always important but right now it’s critical that everyone puts a bit more of an effort in the wider community rather than just the hcp.

I’d like to see plain wedding bands banned by infection control nurses for all staff not just clinical.

I have always washed hands when leaving the house, when returning from being out, after shopping, when handling food etc. To be honest I thought everyone did. I don’t wash them any more now than I always have.

I have also stopped wearing clothes. I have replaced them with a giant blue mask.

Yes I'm still wearing my wedding and engagement rings. I won't take them off. I wash my hands religiously.

I still wear my wedding ring (plain band) but haven't worn my engagement ring since March as I don't think hand washing effectively cleans around stone settings.

[quote daytripper28]@Coffeeandcrumpet

Stopped wearing mine in March. I work as a nurse.

To all those laughing and making fun of the OP - she is right. Just sayin'[/quote]
This. There is a reason why HCPs are not supposed to wear rings, apart from a plain wedding band. Even if you take the rings off every single time you wash your hands (and I bet you don't), the skin under rings is still relatively warm and moist, so great for germs, and they also colonise the ring itself. So your hands are less clean.

The OP isn't proposing banning rings, FFS. Posters taking the piss are just showing their own ignorance.

OP, I stopped wearing rings as my fingers kept getting sore under the rings where they weren't drying properly. I have to keep using hand gel due to my job, so find it much easier to just not wear the rings at the moment.

@TwoLeftSocksWithHoles

I've pulled all my finger nails out, just as a precaution. Makes scratching my head a bit ineffective though. I

Haha this made me laugh

I’m not, purely because none of my rings are good enough quality to stand up to repeated hand washing/sanitising without tarnishing!

Which rings? Or is that rude?

Onion rings. No it isn't.

I do wonder if other people didn’t wash their hands much pre Covid?
Of course people washed their hands pre-covid. What they probably weren't doing was antibacterial gel on entering and leaving shops and public transport., spraying alcohol on their trollies/shopping baskets and washing/using gel every time they used a petrol pump or PIN machine.

People are washing and sterilising more now, that doesn't mean that they didnt have healthy hand washing habits before.

Hell yes. I just bought this tacky according to my mum little beauty.

Jesus Christ 🤦🏼‍♀️

I've stopped wearing any of my expensive rings with stones as it's too tiresome to keep removing them when sanitising and I worry about leaving them on a restaurant counter or dropping them down a floor crack. I just wear a plain wedding band.

@trixiebelden77

I never wear rings. I’m an ICU dr.

Everyone’s enjoying their ROFLs here but I’m wondering how many people who feel one can wash properly with rings on would be happy with their healthcare workers wearing them? Every ICU I’ve worked in has required ‘bare below the elbows’; most make an exception for a plain wedding ring but certainly nothing with stones. I’m really pleased to hear that was all wasted and the consensus is it’s fine and perfectly clean.

Yep it's not that rings, nails, whatever are a huge risk (obviously a bigger issue in your setting!) but can carry a risk. So it makes sense to minimise it.

Not sure why everyone is being so twatty?

Only wearing a plain wedding band now for the same reasons as many.

My mum was a theatre nurse. She loved her jewellery - a lot of bling! - but only ever wore it for going out out. We had regular lectures on the correct way to wash hands and keep nails short and clean - my brother and I would give her a massive eye roll which I feel a bit guilty about as now I lecture my preteens and teenager about the same thing.

I developed dermatitis from all the handwashing back in March so took my wedding ring off and it hasn't gone back on yet. I don't miss it and DH lost his in the garden years ago so he's not about to say anything!