People with Glasses are Less Susceptible to COVID-19

Dec, 2020 - By WMR

The research has shown that around 10.9% of the participants wore eyeglasses, of which 5.1% had presbyopia and 5.8% had myopia.

According to new research, people who wear glasses for more than 8 hours a day may be less susceptible to the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2). The research was published in the JAMA Ophthalmology journal. The coronavirus, a highly contagious and deadly virus responsible for COVID-19 disease, is known to spread through respiratory droplets. Around 80% of the Chinese population has myopia, a common vision disorder in which one can see objects near to them clearly, and distant objects blurry. Due to this vision disorder, most Chinese people wear glasses.

However, the prevalence of COVID-19 patients (positive) has been reported to be very low since the COVID-19 outbreak in China. During this research, the researchers examined around 276 individuals with COVID-19, between January 27 and March 13, who were hospitalized in Suizhou Zengdu Hospital, China. The average age of the participants was 51 years. Around 5.1% of participants had a severe infection. Moreover, the researchers asked them to fill the questionnaire, about wearing contact lenses, daily duration of wearing eyeglasses, the reason for wearing eyeglasses, and the information about having refractive surgery.

The participants who wore glasses for more than 8 hours a day were considered as long-term wearers. According to the team, those individuals wear glasses when socializing with people or staying outdoor. The research has shown that around 10.9% of the participants wore eyeglasses, of which 5.1% had presbyopia and 5.8% had myopia. None of them reported having refractive surgery or wearing contact lenses. According to new research, the prevalence of myopia is much higher in the general population, suggesting that individuals wearing glasses may be less susceptible to COVID-19 infection. Wearing glasses often prevents people from touching their eyes, which reduces the chances of hand-eye transmission of the virus.