Kala chashma may look cool, but it doesn’t stop spread of conjunctivitis | India News – Times of India
With a conjunctivitis epidemic hitting Delhi, doctors said the condition spreads fast because the virus associated with the eye disease lingers on surfaces for a long time and anyone can become infected through contact with infected objects, such as door handles, tables or chairs. The dark glasses are thus no remedy. Infected people shouldn’t think that wearing shades and going to crowded places or offices will spare others the infection.
Dr JS Titiyal, head of RP Centre for Ophthalmic Sciences, AIIMS, said that dark glasses do not prevent the spread of infection. It’s touch that is crucial, so the answer lies in not sharing things like laptops, computers, mouse, tables and phones with others. “If you touch such things, you should sanitise your hand and work area, like people used to do during the Covid crisis,” Titiyal advised.
He added, “You should not touch the goggles used or touched by an infected person. In fact, anyone can catch the infection through the dark glasses. If an infected person takes them off, the surface on which he keeps them can become contaminated and later infect anyone who touches such a surface.” Saying that this was one reason why offices are spreading the infection so fast, he prescribed working from home to avoid spreading the virus.
“Conjunctivitis is primarily transmitted through direct contact with the eye secretions of an infected person but you can also get infected if you touch your eye after touching a contaminated surface like doorknobs, door handles or bathroom sinks,” confirmed Dr Sanjiv Gupta, director and senior eye surgeon, I Care Centre. He added that the use of dark glasses by people suffering from conjunctivitis is to protect the eyes from light and not to prevent the contagion spreading.
Doctors claimed a 20% spike in cases this season over 2022. Dr Digvijay Singh, senior consultant and head of ophthalmology at Narayana Superspecialty Hospital, said, “Every day, 12-15 patients are turning up at our OPD for eye problems. We see an alarming situation at the present. The people need to take all precautions.”
The infection spreads mainly through the hands, said Dr Saurabh Varshney, senior consultant, ophthalmology, Primus Super Speciality Hospital. “It is prudent, after touching any public surface, to sanitise the hands and prioritise hand hygiene. Wiping surfaces with a disinfectant will also help eliminate any lingering germs left behind by the previous potential infected person, ensuring a cleaner and safer experience.”
