Question: Now that we’re all supposed to be wearing masks out and about in the world, should we be wearing other PPE too?
Answer: Interesting question. My most recent Q&A on masks was on 3/31 and I talked about gloves on 3/26. In short, Masks== wear them; Gloves== it depends, but for activities like walking around the grocery store, experts don’t generally recommend them. So that brings us to eye wear. How about goggles? Or even eyeglasses for that matter?
First, let’s remember why we are wearing masks. It’s to prevent us from spreading the virus, not to keep us from contracting the virus. So does walking around with goggles or glasses limit spread of the virus? Scientists have been studying this very issue and so far, the virus does not appear to be spread via tears. That’s good. Wearing goggles will not likely help in terms of reducing our ability to spread the virus. So, no need to wear them for activities like going to the grocery store. But..
On the flip side, scientists also find that it is likely that the coronavirus can be contracted through the eye, which aligns with evidence that influenza can be contracted through the eye. Indeed, it was an ophthalmologist, Dr. Li Wenliang, who was the first to raise alarm about the new virus back in December and subsequently succumbed to the disease in February. Additionally, conjunctivitis seems to be a less common symptom of COVID-19 and other coronaviruses, which *could* suggest ocular transmission. Evidence is also mounting that the virus can both a) be spread through finer vapors — the very act of exhaling — not just larger respiratory droplets from coughing or sneezing; and b) may hang in the air of poorly ventilated spaces for several hours. I bring this up to say that if you have to be in close quarters for any reason — like riding the bus or caring for a sick family member — it would be beneficial to also protect yourself by wearing goggles.
When it comes to wearing eyeglasses as protection, I haven’t found any solid data on the issue. Ophthalmologists say that eyeglasses can offer a bit of a barrier — if someone sneezes, the glasses will help shield your eyes (I don’t think we need science for that one!). Plus, folks who wear eyeglasses have less reason to touch their eyes than those who wear contacts. For those reasons, they suggest switching from contacts to eyeglasses. But in terms of protection from airborne transmission that I described above, goggles would be a far better option since they offer full protection of the eyes rather than partial protection offered by glasses. For health providers, CDC recommends wearing a face shield or goggles. CDC does caution that goggles can fog, but there are lots of hacks to limit the issue of fogging — like using liquid soap! Finally, if you want to keep up-to-date on eye issues and COVID-19, the American Academy of Ophthalmology offers a great resource page on the topic.