This is how you can practice good eye hygiene to prevent coronavirus: Doctor advice

The proliferation of coronavirus has collided with the spring-summer season, aka the ‘flu season’. This means there are more likely chances of catching a cold, runny nose, fever, and even conjunctivitis, a common symptom of COVID-19. Although this little known common symptom can also just be an allergic reaction to pollen eyes and not necessarily the coronavirus infection, it is fairly normal to get confuse between having red eyes and coronavirus flu. Are you concerned about your eye protection during the pandemic? Doctors suggest neglecting eye hygiene during this pandemic can cost you much more.

Wearing glasses is probably the best solution to protect your eyes, according to medical experts. Glasses can curb the habit of frequently touching or rubbing our eyes. It can act as a barrier between your eyes and airborne virus particles floating in the air.

For people who prefer wearing contact lenses, make sure you are sanitising your hands well before and after touching your lenses. Wash your hands for a minimum of twenty seconds and dry them with disposable paper towels before touching your lens kit. Cleanse well your contacts with fresh contact solution to keep it germ free. It is better to not put on contact lenses with you have eye irritation and use glasses for safety.

Meanwhile, researchers have found that respiratory droplets carrying coronavirus can spread via a cough or sneeze to infect a healthy person. These droplets can travel a good amount of distance. Eyes having mucosal surfaces, there is a small chance of getting infected through eye contact as well. There have been a few COVID-19 positive cases where the patients have shown mild signs of conjunctivitis or ‘pink eye’. However, it is better to practice good eye hygiene as conjunctivitis is itself contagious.

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