Mask? Check. Hand sanitizer? Check. What about goggles? Fauci talks eye protection

No pandemic outfit is complete without eye protection, Dr. Anthony Fauci said Wednesday.

Face coverings are critical, but don’t neglect the eyes, he told ABC News.

Like the nose and mouth, eyes are “mucosal surfaces,” easy entryways for the virus to sneak into the body.

“If you have goggles or an eye shield, you should use it,” Fauci said. “It’s not universally recommended, but if you really want to be complete, you should probably use it if you can.”

While communities across the US struggle with mask mandates, much less has been said on the subject of eyewear, though many experts agree there’s a lot of benefit to putting on a shield, a pair of goggles, or even some cool shades.

They don’t offer complete safety against COVID-19, but researchers have found that even glasses and sunglasses are good at stopping droplets, McClatchy News reported.

Safety goggles are considered more effective as they close fully around the eyes, blocking droplets slipping in from the sides, and preventing the wearer from rubbing their eyes after they may have touched a virus-ridden surface.

“The virus can still reach your eyes from the open sides, tops and bottoms of your glasses. For better protection, you must use safety goggles if you’re caring for a sick patient or potentially exposed person,” according to the American Academy of Ophthalmology.

It’s unclear just how common coronavirus transmission through the eyes is, though a Chinese study of 38 patients found 12 had “ocular manifestations,” suggesting the virus may be present in the eyes and transmissible through them.

Experts say the mouth and nose are much more often the transmission points for coronavirus.

One possible reason why is the eyes already have built-in defenses just as they are, Dr. Emily Landon, hospital epidemiologist and infectious diseases specialist at University of Chicago Medicine, told NPR.

“You blink really easily any time even a puff of air goes near your eye,” she said. “So if somebody coughs or sneezes near you, you’re really likely to close off your eyes. That’s good. Whereas your mouth and nose don’t do that.”

This story was originally published July 29, 2020 at 4:48 PM with the headline "Mask? Check. Hand sanitizer? Check. What about goggles? Fauci talks eye protection."