Amid this COVID-19 pandemic, safeguarding our health is at the forefront of everyone’s mind. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends taking extra precautions when putting our hands anywhere near our faces, so what’s a contact lens wearer to do? And are they at increased risk of exposure?
According to the CDC, there is currently no evidence to suggest that contact lens wearers are at a greater risk of acquiring COVID-19 than eyeglass wearers. Even though there isn’t any evidence of increased risk of transmission, it continues to be important to maintain safe and healthy contact lens wear and hygiene(1).
The CDC and American Optometric Association (AOA) have provided guidelines to encourage safe and healthy hygiene habits for contact lens wear. Following are seven of these guidelines. 7 Healthy Habits Contact Lens Wearers Should Practice During the COVID-19 Pandemic1. Wash your hands2. Remove contact lenses before sleep3. Keep contact lenses away from water (e.g. swimming or showering)4. Clean and take care of contact lenses and case properly
5. Discontinue wear if sick6. Follow proper wearing schedule
7. Talk with your eye care provider
For tools to educate your patients on healthy contact lens wear in your office or online, check out this article.
Sources:
1. Coronavirus (COVID-19) frequently asked questions. (2020, April 22). Retrieved May 4, 2020, from https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/faq.html#How-to-Protect-Yourself 2. Protect Your Eyes. (2020, April 9). Retrieved May 4, 2020 from https://www.cdc.gov/contactlenses/protect-your-eyes.html 3. Contact lens wear during COVID-19. (2020, April). Retrieved May 5, 2020, from https://www.aoa.org/covid-19-patient-resources/contact-lens-wear-during-covid-19
2 Comments
9/28/2020 07:18:23 pm
My vision has been blurry lately, probably because of binge-watching, which is why I've decided to start looking for an optician that may suggest contact lenses. Well, I'm glad about these types; I'll make sure to always wash my hands before touching my contacts. I'll also keep in mind to replace its case every three months.
Reply
Stephen H.
9/30/2020 01:17:37 pm
Hi, Rachel. Thanks for reading and leaving a comment today.
Reply
Your comment will be posted after it is approved.
Leave a Reply. |
Don't Miss Out!
Subscribe to the Unity Newsletter to get the latest blog posts delivered directly to your inbox. Popular Posts
Categories
All
|