Covid-19 has wreaked havoc across the world during the past 3 years. It has caused widespread fear and panic among people, especially among the elderly and diseased individuals.
As this deadly virus continues to infect people, scientists have been scampering to find new and innovative ways to reduce the risk of infection in the general public.
Recently a clinical trial was conducted to assess whether wearing glasses could reduce the risk of getting infected by Covid-19.
COVID-19 is a disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus which belongs to a family of viruses called coronavirus that can cause respiratory infection in human beings. Coronaviruses are often found in bats, cats, and camels. The viruses live in but don’t infect the animals. However, once they enter the human body they can cause mild to severe respiratory illness, including death.
The use of eye protective gear for infection control was proposed more than 100 years ago but has received little attention during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Initial clinical studies have indicated that wearing glasses may be associated with a reduced risk of Covid-19 infection however, strong clinical evidence on this topic is lacking.
To rectify this, a clinical trial was conducted recently in Norway to determine whether eyeglasses prevented covid-19 infection among the general public.
The clinical study, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), involved 3717 participants. They were divided into two groups. One group was advised to wear glasses when they were close to other people in public places while the other group was advised to continue their everyday lives without glasses. Both groups were instructed to follow standard COVID-19 preventive measures, such as hand hygiene and physical distancing.