By Bailey Aldridge
The News & Observer (Raleigh, N.C.)
WWR Article Summary (tl;dr) Earlier this month the American Academy of Ophthalmology posted information on eye safety and how to protect your eyes during the coronavirus pandemic. One suggestion was that people who wear contact lenses switch to glasses for the time being.
Raleigh
Officials have emphasized the importance of not touching your face amid the coronavirus outbreak, but experts disagree on whether contact lenses are safe to use during this time.
Coronavirus is believed to spread mostly from close person-to-person contact and respiratory droplets, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It may be possible to be infected by touching a contaminated surface and then touching your face, but officials don’t think this is the main way the virus spreads.
Still, the CDC says it’s important to wash your hands often and avoid touching your face with unwashed hands.
Earlier this month, the American Academy of Ophthalmology posted information on eye safety and how to protect your eyes during the coronavirus pandemic.
One suggestion was that people who wear contact lenses switch to glasses for the time being.
“Consider wearing glasses more often, especially if you tend to touch your eyes a lot when your contacts are in. Substituting glasses for lenses can decrease irritation and force you to pause before touching your eye,” Dr. Sonal Tuli, ophthalmologist and spokesperson for the American Academy of Ophthalmology, said in the release.
But another group of researchers refutes the claim that glasses are the better option.
The Centre for Ocular Research & Education says in a release that contact lenses are still safe to wear when healthy and “highly effective.” It’s still recommended they not be worn when you’re sick.
It also says glasses don’t offer more protection.
“There is no scientific evidence that wearing spectacles or glasses provide protection against COVID-19 or other viral transmissions,” the release says.
Regardless of whether you wear contact lenses or glasses, there are steps to take to protect yourself.
It’s important to wash your hands well and dry them before handling contact lenses, the American Academy of Ophthalmology says.
Daily lenses should be thrown out each night, and monthly or two-week lenses should be disinfected regularly, The Centre for Ocular Research & Education says.
Glasses should also be disinfected regularly, it says.
Both groups echoed the importance of not touching your face or rubbing your eyes with unwashed hands.
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