Coronavirus can spread via eyes, claims a virologist

New Delhi : People have been covering their faces and nose to ensure safety from the coronavirus but incidentally a virologists has claimed that the COVID 19 can get transmitted through eyes, impossible to cover when go outside.

Virologist and NBC contributor Joseph Fair has claimed that he may had received the infection through his eyes when he was on a crowded flight, he told the Today Show. He thinks so because all other mentioned precautions were in place and the only open thing was his eyes.

"You can still get this virus through your eyes ... it's the best guess I have of probably how I got it," Fair said. He also said he expects he will soon be discharged.

The surface of your eye is a prime target for the virus, said Dr. Thomas Steinemann, a spokesperson for the American Academy of Ophthalmology. The organization has warned for weeks that you can be infected through your eyes and has published a list of tips to help prevent that from happening.

Contracting the virus through your eye can happen multiple ways. Perhaps most well publicized: If your hand has been contaminated with the virus, you can spread the virus by touching your face and eyes. But Steinemann said it's also possible for airborne virus particles to infect your eye simply by coming in contact with it.

The best possible solution the problem is regular hand wash and not touching your face frequently.

Social distancing — staying 6 feet or more away from other people — helps reduce the risk that airborne virus particles will come in contact with your eyes.