Why wearing contact lenses might affect your risk of COVID-19

Aside from social distancing, everyone is advised to practice good hygiene to protect against COVID-19. These practices include avoiding touching our faces, washing our hands frequently, disinfecting surfaces on a daily basis, and covering our mouths and noses whenever we sneeze or cough. These are reminders we hear on a daily basis so we’ve now become more careful whenever we’re outside.

However, contact lens wearers should be more mindful of these protocols because they’re more likely to rub their eyes due to irritation. Eye irritation can be caused by dislodged lenses or dust accumulating under them. Not touching one’s face can be challenging because of these.

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Photo by Ahmad Gunnaivi from Unsplash

It’s because of this risk that contact lens wearers should be more strict in hygiene and in handling their lenses because one accidental touch to the eyes can expose them to COVID-19.

We’ve seen people wear face shields as an extra layer of protection. That’s because sometimes a mask isn’t enough. Virus droplets enter through the mucous membranes of the mouth and nose, but they can also enter through the eyes.

If you’re the type whose eyes tend to be irritated because of contact lenses, then maybe you should consider switching to glasses for now. Glasses can add extra protection from droplets and you won’t have to worry about touching your eyes with your fingertips at the end of a day.

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Photo by Anna Shvets from Pexels

But if you still prefer to wear contact lens, don’t forget to practice good hygiene at all times. Thoroughly wash and dry your hands before inserting or removing your lenses, and disinfect them properly with solution before storing them.

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