Eyeglass wearers up to three times less likely to catch coronavirus, study finds

People who wear glasses could be up to three times less likely to be infected with coronavirus, an Indian study has suggested.

The virus can enter the body by touching the eyes, nose or mouth after coming into contact with the virus.

However, researchers in India say people who wear glasses rub their eyes less and are therefore less at risk of contracting Covid-19.

In an unpaired peer-reviewed study published on the medRxiv website, researchers studied 304 people (223 men and 81 women) at a hospital in northern India for two weeks last summer. The patients were between 10 and 80 years old and all had symptoms of Covid.

Of these, 19% said they wear glasses most of the time.

The researchers found that participants touched their face up to 23 times per hour on average and their eyes on average three times per hour.

They found that the risk of contracting Covid-19 was two to three times lower in those who wear glasses.

“Touching and rubbing the eyes with contaminated hands can be a major route of infection,” the report says.

“Long-term use of glasses can prevent repeated eye contact and rubbing.”

Doctors have previously recommended that people who wear contact lenses switch to glasses to avoid potentially transmitting the coronavirus from their hands to their eyes.