Does wearing glasses protect you from the coronavirus?

When Chinese researchers were analyzing hospital data for Covid-19 patients, they noticed a strange tendency: most of the sick patients wore glasses on a regular basis.

At one hospital in Suzhou, China, 276 patients were hospitalized for 47 days, but only 16 of myopia or myopia patients needed to wear glasses for more than 8 hours a day. By comparison, previous studies have shown that more than 30% of similar older people in the area needed eyeglasses for myopia.

Scientists wondered, given that the rate of myopia seemed to be much higher in the general population than in the Covid-19 ward.

“Wearing glasses is common among Chinese of all ages,” the study author writes. “But since the outbreak of Covid-19 in Wuhan in December 2019, spectacled patients have rarely been hospitalized in the ward.”

The authors speculated that the observations “may be preliminary evidence that everyday wearers of eyeglasses are less susceptible to Covid-19.”

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Experts say it’s too early to draw conclusions from the study. Alternatively, we recommend that people start wearing eye protection in addition to masks in the hope that they will reduce the risk of infection.

The glasses may act as a partial barrier, protecting your eyes from coughing and sneezing splatters. Another explanation for the discovery may be that people wearing glasses are less likely to rub their eyes with contaminated hands. In a 2015 report on touching the face, students watching lectures averaged about 10 times in an hour, touching the nose and mouth, but researchers asked if they were wearing glasses. I didn’t check it.

Current research published in JAMA OphthalmologyWas accompanied by comments from Dr. Lisa Malagakiss, an infectious disease expert and associate professor of medicine at Johns Hopkins University of Medicine, who cautioned the interpretation of the results.

The study is small and involves less than 300 cases of Covid-19, which is a small fraction of the approximately 30 million reported cases of coronavirus infection worldwide. Another concern is that data on myopia in comparative groups were collected from a study conducted decades ago.

Malagakis pointed out that a number of factors can confuse the data, saying that wearing glasses may simply be associated with other variables that affect the risk of Covid-19. It was. For example, people who wear spectacles tend to be older than those who do not wear spectacles and are more likely to stay at home carefully during the outbreak of the virus. Alternatively, those who can afford eyeglasses are less likely to get the virus for other reasons, such as having a way to live in a less crowded space.

“This is one study,” Maragakis said. “Medical facilities use eye protection, such as eye protection and goggles, so they have some biological relevance.” “But what needs to be investigated is whether eye protection in public places adds protection beyond masks and physical distances. I don’t think it’s clear yet.”

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Healthcare professionals wear protective equipment over their eyes to protect them from droplets that can be scattered from coughing and sneezing and aerosolized particles that form when the patient undergoes medical procedures such as intubation. To do. However, for the vast majority of people, if you wear a mask and keep a physical distance in a public space, you probably don’t need such an additional level of protection. Wearing glasses can also pose a risk, according to Malagakiss. When you wear glasses, you may touch your face less when you wear glasses.

That said, more research is needed to see if this trend applies to other research groups, said Thomas, a spokesman for the American Academy of Ophthalmology and an ophthalmologist at Cleveland’s Metrohealth Medical Center. Dr. Steinemann said.

“I find it provocative and very interesting,” Steinemann said.

But Steinman said the study shouldn’t cause worry for those who don’t wear glasses. “Wearing glasses is probably harmless, but does everyone have to? Probably not,” he said. “I think we need to consider the practicality of wearing eye protection and face shields. People in specific occupations, first responders, caregivers of sick people, they should probably pay special attention. People. “

The findings also raise interesting questions about how often the eye is the gateway to the virus. It has long been established that viruses and other bacteria can enter the body through the mucous membranes of the face of the eyes, nose and mouth. However, the nose seems to be the main entrance to the coronavirus. This is because the virus has a large number of receptors that create a friendly environment in which it can replicate and descend the respiratory tract.

However, doctors have identified a small proportion of patients with eye symptoms such as conjunctivitis and pink eyes. This suggests that the virus may have invaded the body through the eyes. Although eye symptoms are less common than other symptoms such as cough and fever, various studies have reported that eye complaints may be a sign of Covid-19 infection.

Last month, researchers reported a study of 216 children hospitalized in Covid-19 in Wuhan. Among those patients, 49 children, or nearly 23 percent of cases, had eye symptoms, including conjunctival secretions, eye rubbing, and conjunctival congestion. In addition to pink eyes, itchy eyes, excessive tears, blurred vision, and the sensation of something in the eyes are all explained by Covid-19 patients.