Page 124 - The Indian Optician Digital Edition September-October 2021

HYGIENE
MAINTENANCE
OF SPECTACLES AND
CONTACT LENSES
SHRUTI BINDAL (ABOVE)
AND SRASTI SHRIVASTAV.
SECOND YEAR OPTOMETRY
STUDENTS, ITM UNIVERSITY,
RAIPUR
| SEPT-OCT 2021 | 120 EYE HEALTH
he current pandemic situation has not only impacted
the economy but also disturbed everyday life. It has
Tmade people more conscious of their habits and
overall hygiene. The guidelines provided by the World Health
Organisation (WHO) also suggests that people reduce the
contact of hands to their eyes, nose, and mouth. The guidelines
also emphasise on the necessity to sanitise everything before
and after one touches them.
The publication of the American Academy of Ophthalmology
also issued a set of guidelines that recommend the protection
of eyes, including ways to limit the spread of the COVID-19
infection by following the best practices of hygiene. It suggests
that incorporating good hygiene and maintaining safety is an
effective step towards the prevention of COVID-19. It further states
that it is important to disinfect the surfaces and products that
come in contact with one’s body. A novel coronavirus (CoV), the
Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus - 2 (SARS-CoV-2),
results in the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). As information
concerning the COVID-19 disease continues to evolve, patients
look to their eye care practitioners to help understand the right
ways to protect their eyes.
“Our findings indicate that contact lenses remain a perfectly
acceptable form of vision correction during the coronavirus
pandemic, as long as people observe good hands’ hygiene and
follow appropriate wear-and-care directions," said Dr. Lyndon
Jones, Director of the Centre for Ocular Research & Education
(CORE) at the University of Waterloo and the lead author of a well-
regarded paper on this subject. He further added, "Unfortunately,
we have seen several erroneous reports regarding contact lenses
and spectacles in recent days. Our goal is to make sure that