While face masks have been found to reduce the risk of catching or spreading COVID-19 through the mouth and nose, not much research has been done on how to keep the virus from entering via people’s eyes.
However, a recent study found that people who wear glasses at least 8 hours a day are two to three times less likely to catch COVID-19 than people who are not wearing them.
The same level of protection applies to people who wear sunglasses whenever they are outside.
The glasses provide some physical protection against the virus spreading via airborne saliva or mucus, but the real reason glasses wearers aren’t as susceptible to catching COVID-19 is because spectacles keep people from touching and rubbing their eyes.
The study's lead researcher is Amit Kumar Saxena, of India. To read the full study, go to medrxiv.org.
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