The White House’s top infectious disease expert Anthony Fauci told ABC News that “if you have goggles or an eye shield, you should use it.”

Wearing face shields was “not universally recommended,” he said, “but if you really want to be complete, you should probably use it if you can.”

“You have mucosa in the nose, mucosa in the mouth, but you also have mucosa in the eye,” Fauci explained. “Theoretically, you should protect all the mucosal surfaces.”

The science on face shields and their effectiveness against the coronavirus is still unclear.

As per the US Centers for Disease Protection website, “it is not known if face shields provide any benefit as source control to protect others from the spray of respiratory particles,” but “some people may choose to use a face shield when sustained close contact with other people is expected.”

“If you maintain physical distancing of at least 6 feet between you and other people when in public places, you will not need a face shield,” reads a John Hopkins Medicine FAQ. “If you must be in close contact with someone who is not wearing a mask, a face shield may provide some additional protection.”

In the interview, Fauci also noted that there’s “no real recommendation” for when somebody should get tested. “I would think that five days is good. I might even go a day or so early because the incubation period of when you get symptoms is about five days.”

In advance of this year’s upcoming flu season, Fauci stressed the importance of wearing masks to “not only protect us against COVID-19, but also help protect us against influenza.”

“Go out there and get your flu shot when the flu vaccine becomes available,” he added.

The post Fauci Says Coronavirus Can Infect You Through Your Eyeballs appeared first on Futurism.

View original post here:
Fauci Says Coronavirus Can Infect You Through Your Eyeballs