Wearing glasses can do a lot, from blocking UV rays to finishing off a Clark Kent-inspired Halloween costume (but also correct your vision). But can wearing glasses also give you the power of a superhero to defend yourself against COVID-19?
Although experts recommend wearing face coverings and adhering to social distancing to help prevent your exposure to the new coronavirus, protective eyewear (such as glasses) is not on the list of safety recommendations for the general public. But new research, published in September 2020 in JAMA Ophthalmology, seems to imply that sports eyewear offers an added layer of protection.
Can COVID-19 be spread through the eyes?
Yes, the virus can infect you through the eyes. That's why it's important to wash your hands and avoid touching your face or rubbing your eyes when you're out and about.
Even so, it's unlikely you'll get infected this way. Coronavirus is thought to spread mainly through respiratory droplets (generated by an infected person sneezing, coughing, or talking) that make their way through the mucous membranes of the nose or mouth of other people nearby (within two meters).
When is it a good idea to protect yourself with glasses?
Eye protection is part of the personal protective equipment used by healthcare workers in clinical settings: goggles or a face shield help protect the eyes from splashes, aerosols , or respiratory droplets.
For people outside of healthcare settings who regularly come into close contact with others or whose jobs require frequent face-to-face interactions (such as restaurant clerks, grocery store clerks, and public transportation workers), glasses can also be a good fit. option to a mask.
But should we all wear protective goggles? The authors of the JAMA Ophthalmology study seem to think so. In a sample of 276 patients hospitalized with the coronavirus in China, researchers found an association between goggle use and a lower rate of COVID-19 infection.
The researchers hypothesize that people may be able to touch their eyes less frequently when wearing glasses, thus avoiding hand-to-eye transmission of the virus.
But he cautions that these are only preliminary results and the correlation is not clear. More studies are needed to see if there is an additional benefit to wearing eye protection, in addition to wearing a mask and practicing physical distancing, in public settings.
Masks offer the best protection
A well-fitting mask is still the best way to protect against getting (or spreading) COVID-19.
Remember that the main mode of transmission of the coronavirus appears to be through infected respiratory droplets that enter through the nose or mouth. So your best offense and defense against the virus is to wear a mask, like a superhero.