Does wearing glasses reduce the risk of covid transmission

Glasses and prevention of transmission of COVID-19

A study in China showed that those who wear glasses for more than eight hours a day have a lower risk of contracting COVID-19 than those who don't wear glasses.

This research was conducted by observing 276 COVID-19 patients at the Suizhou Zengdu Hospital, China. Of the 276 patients observed, only 16 wore glasses, this number was only 6 percent of the 31 percent of the local population who wore glasses.

This observation is considered to be early evidence that everyday glasses wearers are less susceptible to infection with COVID-19. This became the researchers' initial speculation.

It should be noted that this is a study that was conducted only on a small scale and only showed an association between wearing glasses and infection rates for COVID-19, not a direct experiment.

It's too early to say glasses can help prevent contracting the Coronavirus because further research is still needed. However, there are some important things that can be noted from this fact.

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Eyes are the entry route for the virus that causes COVID-19

According to Medical Journal of Virology , the eye is one of the main routes for the entry of the SARS-CoV-2 virus into the body.

COVID-19 can be transmitted through respiratory droplets that come out when someone breathes, talks, coughs, or sneezes. The droplet containing the virus can be pushed by the air and then looks for another host, usually this virus enters the body through the nose or mouth.

Eyes have a protective layer called mucous membrane. This lining is also owned by the nose and mouth where the corona virus lands and tries to pass through the mucous membrane to infect.

That is why the researchers saw the possibility that the mucous membrane in the eye could also be a portal for the entry of the corona virus that causes COVID-19.

Theoretically, wearing glasses is an additional barrier to protect the eyes from direct touch or droplet splashes. Health workers wear goggles in the COVID-19 red zone for the same reason, namely protecting the eyes from droplet splashes.

The difference is, goggles are designed to protect the eyes around the water tightly. Meanwhile, the glasses that are used daily only block the droplets from the front and the other sides are still vulnerable.

The American Center for Disease Protection and Control (CDC) recommends wearing goggles for healthcare workers treating patients in high-risk settings. But stressed that everyday glasses are not considered to provide protection from transmission of the corona virus.

How about a face shield?

To remember, COVID-19 can be transmitted from direct contact with the droplet droplets of an infected person when they talk, cough or sneeze. Therefore, the main recommended prevention is to minimize activities outside the home to maintain distance ( physical distancing ) .

If you are forced to do activities outside the home, you are required to wear a mask of at least a three-layer cloth mask and keep a minimum distance from other people of 1.5 meters.

Face shields can be used as a complement to using masks but cannot replace them. Face shield is a face shield made of rigid clear plastic that covers the face from the forehead to the chin.

One of the indirect transmission routes for COVID-19 is touching surfaces that have been contaminated and then touching the face without washing hands first. The advantage of wearing a face shield is that it prevents us from touching our face with our hands which may be contaminated with the virus.