Could wearing glasses lower the risk of COVID-19? - Live Science

A study from China found that the proportion of COVID-19 patients who wore glasses was much lower than that of the general population.

People who wear eyeglasses may be at lower risk for catching COVID-19 than those who don't wear glasses, early research from China suggests.

The new study, published Wednesday (Sept. 16) in the journal JAMA Ophthalmology, "is provocative and raises the possibility that use of eye protection by the general public might offer some degree of protection from COVID-19," Dr.

However, Maragakis cautions that it's much too early to recommend that everyone don eyeglasses, goggles or face shields in public, in addition to already wearing face masks, to protect against COVID-19.

Importantly, the study found only an association and cannot prove a "cause-effect" relationship between wearing glasses and being protected from COVID-19, Maragakis said.

Maragakis called for more studies to confirm the findings and to determine "whether there is any incremental benefit to wearing eyeglasses or other forms of eye protection in public settings, in addition to wearing a mask and physical distancing, to reduce the risk of acquiring [COVID-19].".

Although it's recommended that health care workers wear face shields or goggles, along with face masks, to lower the risk of catching COVID-19, public health guidelines generally don't promote the use of eye protection for the public; they instead stress the importance of masks, physical distancing and hand washing.

The study authors, from Suizhou Zengdu Hospital in Suizhou, China, decided to look into the link between eyeglasses and COVID-19 prevention after they noticed that few patients with COVID-19 at their hospital wore glasses. .

All participants were asked if they wore eyeglasses, how long they wore glasses during the day and why they needed glasses.

None of the participants in the study wore contact lenses, so whether wearing contact lenses affects the risk of COVID-19 still needs to be studied, the authors said.