A recent study suggests people who were glasses may be up to three times less likely to become infected by COVID-19.
Researchers in India suggest that individuals who wear glasses are less likely to rub their eyes and, therefore, are less at risk from the virus entering the body, the Independent reports.
A person can be infected by the coronavirus by touching their eyes, nose or mouth after coming in contact with a person who is already infected with the virus.
During a non-peer reviewed study published on medRxiv.org, researchers studied 304 participants (223 men and 81 women) between the ages of 10 and 80 who all had reported COVID-19 symptoms at a hospital in India during a two week span in summer 2020.
Only 19% of the participants said they wore glasses most of the time. The researchers discovered the participants touched their face at an average of up to 23 times each hour and their eyes about three times per hour, with individuals who wore glasses having a risk of contracting coronavirus that was two to three times lower than those without glasses.
“Touching and rubbing of the eyes with contaminated hands may be a significant route of infection," the report stated. "Long term use of spectacles may prevent repeated touching and rubbing of the eyes."
Doctors recommended individuals who wear contact lenses switch to glasses in an effort to avoid transmitting COVID-19 through the eyes at the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic last March, the Independent reports.
Photo: Getty Images