Does corona penetrate the body through the eyes? Results leave...

Should we all wear glasses? Ophthalmologists examined whether the eyes represent a relevant gateway for coronaviruses into the body – and come to a clear result.

Scientists around the world are researching exactly how a coronavirus infection affects the body and which route the virus takes into the body – and regularly publish their results in studies. A central question is one that is currently on everyone’s mind: How can I best protect myself against the virus? It has been proven that Covid-19 is most commonly transmitted via droplet infection: The virus-containing droplets of saliva from infected people get through the air they breathe onto the mucous membranes of those who are in the immediate vicinity. According to a study, the nasal mucous membrane is used by coronaviruses as the preferred entry point into the body *. Ophthalmologists now investigated the question of how often Sars-CoV-2 can get into the body through the eyes and trigger Covid-19 there.

Do coronaviruses penetrate the eyes? Infection is “unlikely” – but important question unclear

According to Professor Clemens Lange from the Freiburg University Medical Center, the study situation is clear: The likelihood of infection with Sars-CoV-2 via the surface of the eye is unlikely. “I interpret the current study situation in such a way that the conjunctiva represents a less relevant entry point and a less relevant replication site for SARS-CoV-2 compared to other tissues such as the lungs,” Lange is quoted by the medical newspaper.

During the virtual annual meeting of the German Ophthalmological Society, the ophthalmologist pointed out studies with more than 2,000 Covid-19 patients, of which only around three percent had shown signs of conjunctivitis. This is an indication that coronaviruses prefer other entry points into the body. “Due to the protective blinking of the eye and the small surface of the eye, a purely ocular route of infection is likely to play a subordinate role,” said Lange. It remains unclear, however, whether rubbing the eyes with contaminated hands is possible for infection with Covid-19.

However, the German Ophthalmological Society, as a specialist society for ophthalmology, recommends wearing protective goggles that enclose the eyes in close contact with Covid 19 patients. The reason for this: As before, not all questions about the coronavirus infection risk have been scientifically clarified. There is also no evidence that wearing eye protection glasses in public life could protect against Covid-19. (jg) * Merkur.de is part of the Germany-wide Ippen-Digital editorial network.

Continue reading: Only when you inhale this number of coronaviruses will you get sick – says researchers from Vienna.

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