People who wear glasses could be three times less likely to catch Covid

Wearing glasses can make you up to three times less likely to catch coronavirus, new research suggests.

Those who sport glasses are less likely to touch their face, according to a study in India – making it harder for the virus to reach easy transmission spots, such as the eyes and nose.

“Long-term use of spectacles may prevent repeated touching and rubbing of the eyes,” the study said.

Researchers studied 304 people aged between 10 and 80 – 19 per cent of whom regularly wore glasses.

Participants touched their face up to 23 times each hour on average and their eyes an average of three times per hour.

“The study showed that the risk of Covid-19 was about two to three times less in spectacles wearing population than the population not wearing those,” the report added.

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In early 2020, a big part of the UK government’s initial response to Covid was a campaign to promote hand-washing.

This is believed to have been successful to a certain extent in delaying the first wave.

The study can be found on medRxiv’s website and is awaiting peer review.

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