What is the correct operation when contact lenses meet the new crown virus?
Eyes, fragile and sensitive. According to incomplete statistics, at present, the number of myopia in China has exceeded 450 million, of which the high incidence of myopia is teenagers. Contact lenses are especially popular among young people because they are easy to wear and do not affect the appearance.
Although there is no evidence that contact lenses increase the risk of new coronavirus infection, the American Academy of Ophthalmology recommends that during the New Coronary Pneumonia epidemic, myopia should "give up" contact lenses and wear more glasses to reduce the urge to touch the eyes and infection Possibility of new coronavirus. Some experts suggest that if you need to wear contact lenses, keep clean during use, rubbing and cleaning contact lenses with disinfectant.
The wearing problem of orthokeratoscopes similar to wearing contact lenses has also become a concern of many people, especially parents, during the outbreak of new coronary pneumonia. For students who use orthokeratology to correct their eyesight, they also need to pay special attention to hygiene and cleaning during the wearing process.
It is especially important to reduce eye contact
Steinman, a clinical medical spokesperson for the American Academy of Ophthalmology, recently suggested that during the New Corona Virus outbreak, contact lens wearers are advised to replace themselves with ordinary spectacle glasses because doing so may reduce the desire to touch the eyes.
The American Academy of Ophthalmology reminds the public that in very rare cases, the new coronavirus may cause conjunctivitis. At this time, the new coronavirus may spread through contact with the liquid in the eyes of the infected person or objects carrying the liquid.
This is not alarmist. On February 26, a team of professor Shen Ye, deputy dean of the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine and leader of ophthalmology, published a research work online in the Journal of Medical Virology and found for the first time the presence of new coronavirus in tears and conjunctival secretions.
According to China's "Guidelines for Public Protection of New Coronavirus Pneumonia (Second Edition)", the current transmission routes of new coronary pneumonia include respiratory droplet transmission, contact transmission and aerosol transmission (possibly). Among them, the spread of contact includes the deposition of droplets on the surface of the article, contact with the contaminated hands, and then contact with the mucous membranes of the mouth, nose, eyes, etc., causing infection.
Since the eye is a possible route of infection with the new coronavirus, it is particularly important to reduce eye contact. Studies have shown that people who wear contact lenses are more likely to touch their eyes more frequently than people who wear frame glasses or do not need vision correction.
Do not use normal saline and lubricating drops to disinfect the lenses
For those who ca n’t change the frame glasses, the American Academy of Ophthalmology also gives hygienic tips for using contact lenses to minimize the risk of infection.
For example, before taking contact lenses, wash hands with soap and dry hands with a lint-free towel; minimize contact with water, remove contact lenses before showering, swimming, or taking a hot bath; do not rinse contact lenses with tap water ; Do not put contact lenses in the mouth to get wet; do not use normal saline and lubricating drops to disinfect the lenses, neither of these liquids are effective or approved disinfectants.
Ophthalmologists advise that people who use contact lenses also use rubbing and rinsing to clean contact lenses when they wear and replace contact lenses according to the eye care expert ’s schedule: rub the contact lenses with their fingers and then use the solution before soaking Rinse, even if the solution used is frictionless, use this method to clean.
When rinsing the lens case, use a disinfectant instead of water to rinse the contact lens case; the lens case should be replaced regularly, at least every 3 months; do not reuse the old solution during the outbreak; do not let the top of the solution bottle touch any On the surface, close the bottle tightly when not in use; the possibility of not wearing contact lenses during an epidemic may increase. After storing for 30 days or more, do not wear the contact lenses again without disinfection.
Corneal "masks" with poor ventilation are prone to cause eye diseases
Wearing contact lenses, in addition to the possibility of infection with viruses, unhealthy wearing methods may cause greater damage to the eyes.
Li Suyan, director of the Department of Ophthalmology, the First People ’s Hospital of Xuzhou City, Jiangsu Province, said: "When wearing and removing contact lenses, you may accidentally touch the eyelid and corneal epithelium, causing mechanical damage. The corneal epithelium is the first As a line of defense, if the corneal epithelium is damaged, bacteria will take advantage of it, leading to eye infections such as keratitis and corneal ulcers, causing eye pain and reduced vision. "
Contact lenses are normally worn for 6-8 hours. However, many people wear them in the morning and do not take them off until bedtime. This can easily cause uncomfortable feelings such as dry eyes and foreign body sensations. Some people will wear contact lenses to sleep, contact lens care solution is not changed every day, etc., these will cause dry and itchy eyes.
Zhang Xiaojun, director of the Department of Ophthalmology, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, said that if you wear contact lenses for a long time, it may also cause corneal neovascularization and lead to allergic conjunctivitis. "The clarity of the cornea is closely related to the oxygen it can obtain. The cells of the cornea also need to be metabolized, and the metabolism requires oxygen. 80% of the oxygen required by the cornea comes from the air. During the day, the cornea can get oxygen by contacting the air, and at night, it can pass through the cornea. The nearby blood vessel network obtains that if there is a lack of oxygen, the eyes will swell and the vision will decline. Wearing contact lenses is equivalent to wearing a 'mask' with poor ventilation for the cornea. It is difficult to breathe and obtain oxygen, and it will become inflamed. "
Regarding students who use orthokeratology to correct their eyesight during online learning, experts from Jiangsu Children and Adolescent Myopia Prevention and Control Research Center said that they should clean their hands every day before taking lens care. Students with red eyes should first stop wearing orthokeratology lenses and wear frame glasses instead. If the eyes are uncomfortable, they should go to the emergency department of the hospital for ophthalmology.
Further reading
There is no evidence that contact lenses increase the risk of new coronavirus infection
Science and Technology Daily News (Reporter Liu Haiying) Can I still wear contact lenses during the epidemic? Many people wearing contact lenses have such doubts. Five ophthalmologists from the United States, Britain, Canada and Australia published a paper in the latest issue of "Contact Lens & Anterior Eye" pointed out that there is currently no scientific evidence that contact lens wear will increase Great risk of infection with COVID-19.
In this article called "COVID-19 Pandemic: Important Notes for Contact Lens Practitioners", five ophthalmologists discussed in depth the issue of protecting eye health during the epidemic. They pointed out that there is currently no scientific evidence that, compared to framed glasses, wearing contact lenses increases the risk of COVID-19 wearer wear; also there is no scientific evidence that ordinary glasses can provide protection against COVID-19 or other viruses Propagation protection.
Although this article mainly provides work recommendations for eye care doctors, these recommendations are also very important for contact lens wearers. The author particularly emphasizes the importance of using contact lenses safely and maintaining good hygiene. They recommend washing hands thoroughly before wearing and removing contact lenses; contact lenses must be worn and cared for properly; avoid touching the face with unwashed hands and touching the nose, mouth, and eyes; if you are sick, you should temporarily stop wearing contact lenses.
One of the authors of the paper, Dr. Linden Jones, director of the Ophthalmology Research and Education Center at the University of Waterloo, Canada, said their findings indicate that during the New Coronavirus pandemic, as long as people maintain good hand hygiene habits and follow proper wearing and care Guidance, contact lenses are still a completely acceptable means of correcting vision.
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