During these uncertain times, you may be wondering if it is still safe to be wearing contact lenses. Perhaps you have heard that wearing contact lenses increases your risk of contracting COVID-19, or maybe you heard that your glasses can be used as eye protection.
To help answer your questions, the Centre for Ocular Research & Education (CORE) at the University of Waterloo recently published a guideline on safe contact lens wear and COVID-19.
Here are 5 things you need to know:
- There is no scientific evidence that shows wearing contact lenses increases your risk of getting COVID-19 compared to wearing glasses.
- Thoroughly washing your hands, contact lenses (if using reusable lenses), and contact lens cases is critical. Don’t forget to wash your glasses with warm water and soap as well.
- There is no scientific evidence that your everyday glasses provide adequate protection against COVID-19.
- Avoid touching your eyes and face with unwashed hands.
- If you start to feel unwell, stop wearing your contact lenses and switch to glasses instead. Once you feel better, talk to your optometrist first before starting to wear contact lenses again.
For the full article from CORE and additional resources, you can visit this website here: https://core.uwaterloo.ca/covid-19/
If you still have any concerns or questions, you can still reach out to us via email at [email protected]
