RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Eyeglasses Reduce Risk of COVID-19 Infection
JF In Vivo
JO In Vivo
FD International Institute of Anticancer Research
SP 1581
OP 1582
DO 10.21873/invivo.12414
VO 35
IS 3
A1 LEHRER, STEVEN
A1 RHEINSTEIN, PETER
YR 2021
UL http://iv.iiarjournals.org/content/35/3/1581.abstract
AB Background/Aim: A study of patients in the Hubei Province, China, at the beginning of the pandemic demonstrated that among a group of 276 patients admitted to a hospital with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19, the proportion of patients who said they routinely wore eyeglasses more than 8 hours per day was lower than in the general population. Therefore, wearing eyeglasses more than 8 hours per day may be protective against SARS-CoV-2 infection, possibly because eyeglasses are a barrier that reduces the frequency with which people touch their eyes. The aim of the study was to determine if eyeglasses protect from COVID-19 infection. Materials and Methods: We used UK Biobank (UKB) data to corroborate findings of the Hubei study in the UK population. Results: Eyewear was associated with a reduced risk of infection, odds ratio (OR)=0.77. The effects of sex, age, and eyewear were independent and significant at the 95% level. Men are 1.24-times more likely to be infected than women; subjects’ risk of infection is less (0.95) for every year of age. Conclusion: The public at large may profit from wearing glasses, as well as wearing face masks and practicing social distancing.