Wearing optical glasses every day can reduce the risk of infection with Covid-19, a new study suggests.
The Daily Mail writes that researchers from China found that patients with Covid-19 were 5 times less likely to be affected than others. According to the team that conducted the study, this is because ACE-2 receptors (a protein on the cell surface) through which the virus enters and infects human cells can be found in the eye.
The findings also show more evidence as to why healthcare workers should wear glasses. For this study, the team observed 276 patients diagnosed with Covid-19 from January 17 to March 13.
30 patients had glasses. None of the people diagnosed with the virus had used glasses, contact lenses, nor had they undergone vision correction intervention.
" Our biggest finding was that patients with Covid-19 who wore glasses for long periods of time during the day were less susceptible to the virus," the study authors wrote.
The researchers claim that the glasses prevent or discourage users from touching the eyes, thus avoiding the transfer of the virus from the hands to the eyes. According to them, recently, it has been discovered that the eyes produce ACE-2, turning the organs into a key target of Covid-19.
Coronavirus is found not only on the surface of the eyes, but also inside the tears, which transfers the pathogen.
This may explain why up to 12% of patients with Covid-19 have so-called "ocular manifestations", such as redness and swelling.
"Therefore, the eyes are considered an important channel for SARS-CoV-2 to enter the human body," the authors write.
In an invited comment, Dr Lisa Maragakis, an associate professor of medicine and epidemiology at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, said people should not wear glasses unless they need to.
