Keeping our customers and their eyes healthy remains our number one priority.
There’s a lot of contradicting information about contact lenses and the coronavirus (Covid-19) at the moment. To put your mind at ease, we’ve asked in-house optometrist, Roshni, to debunk the myths and set the record straight.
Truth: It’s still safe to wear contact lenses
Despite myths that have arisen, it’s still perfectly safe to wear contact lenses as long as you practice proper lens hygiene.
The British Contact Lens Association (BCLA), along with other key figures within the optical industry, have echoed this message of reassurance to all wearers, stating that “contact lens wear remains a safe and highly effective form of vision correction for millions of people worldwide.”
Truth: Cleanliness is key
Before handling your contact lenses, always wash your hands with warm water and soap, for at least 20 seconds, and dry them with a clean paper towel.
It’s also really important to stick to the lens care and wear guidelines provided by your Optician. You’ll find heaps of helpful advice about cleaning your lenses and wearing lenses safely on our Vision Hub.
Truth: Glasses don’t provide more protection
There’s no evidence to suggest that glasses provide more protection from Coronavirus.
Some viruses can remain on hard surfaces for days. If you’re constantly touching or adjusting your glasses throughout the day, you could be at risk of transferring germs to your fingers and face.
It’s important to clean your glasses frequently using an optician-approved cleaner and a microfiber cloth on the lenses, and a mild disinfectant wipe to clean the frame.
Truth: You should avoid lens wear if you’re feeling ill
Whether it’s a common cold or coronavirus, you should avoid wearing contact lenses until you’re fully recovered.
Truth: Dailies and Monthlies are both safe and effective
Dailies offer the benefit of a fresh lens every day. However, you can achieve the same level of hygiene when you clean and disinfect your monthlies properly.
Regardless of whether you wear monthlies or dailies, you’ll only need to handle your lenses twice a day (to insert and remove). As long as you wash your hands thoroughly before doing so, both options are safe and effective.
Truth: Contact lenses have heaps of benefits
Contact lenses offer us many benefits, especially when it comes to keeping fit.
Whether you’re working out at home or jogging in the park, contacts are the most convenient and comfortable option for correcting your vision during exercise. Unlike glasses, they won’t slip down your nose or obstruct your peripheral vision during a workout.
Contact lenses also fit perfectly the curvature of your eyes, providing a full field of focused vision and less distortions than glasses. For parents homeschooling their children, contact lenses provide the freedom to be active and educational with their kids without having to wear glasses.
We’re here for you
We hope this clears up any confusion around contact lenses and the coronavirus. As long as you wash your hands properly and care for your contacts, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t continue to enjoy the many benefits of wearing lenses.
We understand that it’s hard to know what information to trust during this uncertain time. So we want to reassure you that the information in this article has been reviewed by our in-house Optometrist and is backed by up-to-date advice from key voices in the optical industry.