People Who Wear Glasses Less Likely To Catch Covid-19, New Study Suggests

People who wear glasses could be up to three times less likely to get coronavirus, according to a new study conducted in India. The preliminary study suggests that glass-wearers may have the extra protection because they tend to touch their eyes less frequently than most people. “Touching and rubbing of the eyes with contaminated hands may be a significant route of infection” for COVID-19, the authors wrote in a report published on medRxiv, a website that compiles medical studies before they are peer-reviewed. The new study found that the risk of infection was two to three times lower among those who wear glasses for “long periods of time,” meaning at least eight hours a day, according to the report. Indian researchers described the findings as “statistically significant.” The study was conducted last summer in the northern district of Kanpur Dehat.