Here is why you should take care of your eyes to avoid transmission of COVID-19.
Facial masks and hand sanitizers are amongst the essential products that people are relying on to fight the coronavirus but did you know you should be taking care of your eyes just as much?
Eye specialists in India are encouraging people to pay attention to their eyes as well because the virus can spread through eyes too. The doctors are advising against wearing contact lenses for now.
While fever, chest congestion, and cold are commonly known symptoms of COVID-19, in some rare cases, the virus may also show symptoms of conjunctivitis or pink eye.
“One of the rare manifestations of COVID-19 is a pink eye or conjunctivitis. Sometimes, patients may not have a fever, cold, cough or any other symptom other than mild conjunctivitis. These patients can also experience loss of smell and loss of taste,” Ikeda Lal, an ophthalmologist said.
Conjunctival congestion emerged as a common symptom amongst 1099 patients across 30 hospitals in China, a recent study published in the New England Journal of Medicine revealed.
Adding to the advice that tells people not to touch their face, the doctors are telling not to touch their eyes either. It is best to wear prescription glasses instead of contact lenses. You can also take care of your eyes by following the basic rules, not spending too much time looking at screens, taking breaks from webinars, video chats, etc and using lubricating eye drops to keep the eyes moist.
