Hyderabad: Watch out for virus on specs, say doctors

HYDERABAD: Did you ever wash your eyeglasses after visiting a hospital or a pharmacy during the pandemic? Eye experts are recommending a thorough sanitisation of spectacles to get rid of any traces of the novel coronavirus every time one goes out of home as the rogue germ can stay on the eyeglasses for as long as nine days.
“One important safety measure one should follow is to cover the mouth and the nose by wearing a mask while moving out. But, equally important is to protect the eyes by wearing eyeglasses, which should be sanitised on returning home,” says Dr Akshay Badakere, ophthalmologist at the LV Prasad Eye Institute, Hyderabad.

He said eyeglasses could be disinfected by using light dishwasher soap under running water and wipe them out with a microfibre cloth. “When going out, carry hydrogen peroxide solution to disinfect eyeglasses. Do not sanitise eyeglasses with alcohol-based sanitisers meant for hands as they can damage the lenses,” Dr Akshay said.
Stating that sanitisation of eyeglasses is important to keep Covid-19 at bay, Dr Akshay said the glasses include prescription ones for refractive errors, plain eyeglasses or specially-designed protective goggles and sunglasses. All these types of eyeglasses prevent aerosols from entering eyes.
“Unlike eyewear, most of the face masks are disposable or reusable, and hence they are a lesser source of infection. But, as there is no such option for daily wear glasses, we generally continue to wear them again and again. It is important to take necessary precautions to ensure that they don’t become carriers of infection. Any lapse can put one at risk of infection as the virus can enter the body through the eyes,” he said, emphasising the need for disinfection of eyeglasses.
Dr Akshay said research studies have revealed that the novel coronavirus stays on the eyeglasses for up to nine days. “We should clean our eyeglasses as frequently as possible, just like the way we keep our hands clean,” he added.
He suggested that one should always wear eyeglasses before stepping out of home, and not frequently touch the glasses. “Ensure that eyeglasses are perfectly adjusted to your face before wearing to avoid unnecessary adjustments by hand. When taking off the glasses, use both hands to remove them,” he said.