But what about the eyes? Should we wear glasses or masks too?
It is certainly possible that a person can obtain Covid-19 through the eyes, said Dr. Thomas Steinemann, clinical spokesman for the American Academy of Ophthalmology.
“Yes, it is in the air,” Steinemann told CNN. “Can it land in the eye? Of course.”
However, they are less likely to contract the virus through the eyes than pass it through the nose or mouth or inhale it, Steinemann said.
Steinemann said that if a significant number of people were infected through the eyes, doctors would likely see more Covid-19 patients with conjunctivitis, also known as pink eye (although having pink eye doesn’t necessarily mean you have the virus) .
Also consider the path the virus would have to take to infect you. It would have to infect the surface of the eye and be brought to the nose through tears, he said. From the nose, it would travel to the mouth or throat, and from there to the airways and lungs.
“That is a pretty tortuous route,” said Steinemann. “But I want to emphasize that it certainly is plausible.”
So do you need to wear glasses?
So do you need to add glasses or face shields to your coronavirus wardrobe?
This is what Fauci said: “If you really want perfect protection of your mucous surfaces … you have mucosa in your nose, mucosa in your mouth, but you also have mucosa in your eye. Theoretically, you should protect all mucosal surfaces. So if you have glasses or an eye protector, you should wear it. It’s not universally recommended. But if you really want to be complete, you should probably wear it, if you can. “
“I was talking to a group of teachers in a talk by the fire and one of the teachers asked, ‘Can the virus enter through the eye?'” Fauci said. “Because some of the teachers were watching people on television and wanted to wear eye protectors.”
He continued: “And my answer was, ‘Well, certainly, if you have an eye protector and would like to use it, it could help because the virus could enter the eye.’ That is not a recommendation that everyone should wear an eye protector.” .
Steinemann said covering the eyes was a smart move for people who cannot reliably practice social distancing or those who have to be in areas where the air may be polluted, perhaps because they are a healthcare worker or caregiver. at home for an infected patient.
But for the average person who works from home or does not come into close contact with other people outside the home, it is probably enough to wear a face mask and keep a safe distance from others.
“I am less vehement in my recommendation for people who are basically taking good precautions, are at home, are working outside their home, just go to the grocery store or get gas in their car, or things like that,” he said.
That’s because our eyes already have pretty good built-in protection, like our eyelids and blinking reflex, he said.
Bottom line: You should wear some form of eye protection if you are in high-risk situations where you are likely to come in contact with the virus. And if you just want to be safer, glasses or a face shield can add an extra layer of protection. But for the average person, wearing a face mask and practicing social distancing should suffice.
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