A new study found that people who wear glasses are two to three times less likely to become infected with COVID-19.
Indian researchers studied 304 patients whose habits of wearing glasses were examined through a questionnaire and compared with existing studies of the general population, according to research published in medRxiv, which is not evaluated by colleagues.
“This study showed that the risk of COVID was two to three times lower in the population wearing glasses than the population not wearing glasses,” said Amit Kumar Saxena in the findings, Mirror UK reported.
“The protective role of the glasses was found to be statistically significant if they were used for (a) long period of the day,” he added. “Touching and rubbing the eyes with contaminated hands can be an important route of infection.”
The researchers said that people touch their face an average of 23 times an hour and their eyes an average of three times an hour.
“Touching the nose and mouth is significantly reduced when you wear a face mask correctly. But wearing a face mask does not protect the eyes, “said the study.
“The nasolacrimal duct can be a route of virus transmission from the conjunctival sac to the nasopharynx,” according to the study.
According to the authors, a total of 58 patients wore glasses continuously during the day and during outdoor activities.