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Good news if you have poor eyesight. Wearing glasses can give you more protection against COVID-19, according to a new study published in JAMA Ophthalmology.
The study authors looked at the number of patients admitted to the Wuhan hospital (where the pandemic outbreak began) who regularly wore glasses and found that it was indeed a very small population.
They found that only 16 COVID-19 patients or 5.8% of the 276 patients admitted over a 47-day period with COVID-19 wore glasses for more than eight hours a day and were myopic.
“The wearing of glasses is common among Chinese of all ages,” the authors wrote. “However, since the COVID-19 outbreak in Wuhan in December 2019, we have seen that few patients with glasses were admitted to the hospital ward.”
But this is where it gets really interesting. In the general Wuhan population, researchers found that more than 30% of people the same age as COVID-19 patients needed glasses for myopia (myopia). This led scientists to conclude that wearing glasses could actually protect you from contracting coronavirus. .
Should you wear goggles to protect yourself from COVID-19?
The eyes can be a route for the virus to spread through someone who is coughing or sneezing in close proximity, as well as if a person rubs their eyes after having virus particles on their hands. SARS-CoV-2 can be transmitted to your system through proteins in your eyes and tears, according to research from the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.
Dr. Mark Ruchman, Medical Director of Versant Health, told Managed Health Care Executive: “The eyes are an important part of the body to protect because, like the nose and mouth, they are mucous membranes where germs can infect the Body. The virus is spread when infected droplets from a sick person’s mouth or nose come into contact with another person’s face, often when they cough, sneeze, or speak. Although you are more likely to get infected by inhaling these droplets through your mouth or nose, they can also enter your eyes, especially if you touch something that has viral particles on it and then rub your eyes. “
This raises the question that if you don’t wear glasses, should you start wearing some kind of protective glasses? The CDC states that people should wear eye protection in “areas with moderate to substantial community transmission,” but if you are in an area with very little transmission, glasses are optional as long as you practice social distancing and wash your hands regularly .
And then some may ask, would sunglasses also protect against this virus? The answer is no. In fact, sunglasses could put you at greater risk. “You increase your risk of COVID exposure when you wear your shopping sunglasses,” Gail Trauco RN, BSN-OCN, patient advocate and CEO / founder of Medical Bill 911 told Eat This Not That. sun on your head or button them on your shirt and touch or adjust them frequently while shopping. It’s an unnecessary risk for a 30-minute shopping company. “
However, it should be noted that this study was very small, which the authors note.
