MADISON, Wisc., (SPECTRUM NEWS) — A mask mandate goes into effect Saturday, but that may not be the only protective gear you need to stock up on.
UW Health chief quality and safety officer, Dr. Jeff Pothof says if you are in close contact with someone, your eyes could be at a heightened risk for contracting COVID-19.
“You could get droplets into your eyes; you could get infected that way,” Dr. Pothof says. “If you wanted to have 100 percent protection, there would be benefit in covering your eyes."
But Dr. Pothof doubts most of the public would wear them.
“I feel like we are having a difficult enough time convincing people to wear face masks at this time; I wouldn't trade a face mask for goggles,” he says. “The most common way that's going to happen is it's [COVID-19] going to come through your mouth, or it's going to come through your nose. We're constantly moving air through our mouth and our nose; we're constantly sucking air in and we're blowing it out. The most likely way that you're going to get sick from COVID-19 is you breathe it in either from your mouth or your nose."
He says besides individuals deemed high-risk, he would encourage anyone working at drive-thrus or concession stands that are not equipped with shields to use some sort of eye protection.
“Those frontline workers who don't really have a choice, they may want to elect to wear eye goggles or glasses to just further reduce the risk that they could get sick at work,” he says.
Pothof says eye shields and sunglasses will do the trick, but for best protection, suction-style swim goggles are the way to go.