越来越多的证据表明新冠肺炎研究人员建议，高风险人群除了练习社交距离和戴口罩外，还应该戴护眼。
疾病控制和预防中心指出，高风险人群包括老年人和任何年龄的有严重潜在疾病的人，以及一线工作者。
疾病预防控制中心还没有向公众发布正式的护眼服指南，仅针对卫生保健工作者。
该机构网站称，人们应该在“中度至重度社区传播的地区”佩戴护眼装置，但在很少或没有社区传播的地区，“护眼装置被认为是可选的，除非作为标准预防措施的一部分另有说明。”
当冠状病毒通过眼睛传播时，潜在的危险不仅仅是接触眼睛。研究表明，这种病毒也可能通过眼睛、嘴和鼻子传播，通过直接接触咳嗽、打喷嚏甚至叫喊产生的飞沫。
2020年5月6日，圣地亚哥，在冠状病毒大流行期间，护士艾米·泰森在夏普纪念医院重症监护室护理一名COVID-19患者之前，调整了她的个人防护装备。
最近研究发表在《柳叶刀》上的文章回顾了病毒传播的风险，包括社会距离、面部遮盖和眼睛保护。虽然不是结论性的，但是这项大型研究表明，如果你戴上眼睛保护装置，你患COVID-19的可能性要低三倍。
具体来说，研究表明，与不戴眼罩相比，戴面罩、护目镜和眼镜的人感染的风险更低，风险从16%降至6%。
南岸健康中心的感染预防主任托德·埃勒林博士说，医院和医疗保健机构有不同的政策来保护个人免受COVID-19通过眼睛的传播。
“我建议，对于我们的病人，我们的普遍预防措施应该包括戴口罩、面罩和手部卫生，”他告诉美国广播公司新闻。
2020年4月24日，康涅狄格州斯坦福市，在斯坦福医院重症监护室，医务人员在进入一名携带COVID-19的病人房间前穿戴好个人防护设备。
但是在医院之外的日常生活中呢?
根据一些研究人员的说法，对于日常生活中的人们来说，除了戴口罩之外，戴上护眼罩可能是个好主意——尤其是如果你有潜在的健康问题，或者你在一个与公众有很多接触的工作中工作，比如在杂货店。
“我们从其他冠状病毒的猫和老鼠模型中知道，通过眼睛感染是可能的。然而，鉴于上述证据，在高风险情况下佩戴护眼装置似乎是谨慎的，”耶鲁大学医学院眼免疫学和感染性疾病专家、临床眼科助理教授文森特·迪亚兹博士说。
“如果在眼镜和隐形眼镜之间进行选择，眼镜可以提供额外的保护屏障。如果在可能接触到COVID阳性患者的情况下，带护罩的个人防护设备可以提供更多保护。”
我们仍在学习COVID-19，但据我们所知，这种高传染性病毒可以通过多种途径进入人体。如果戴上，眼睛保护应该和其他减少传播的措施一起使用，包括面罩、社交距离和基本的手部卫生。
医学博士阿约达拉·阿迪根是耶鲁大学儿童和青少年精神病学研究员，也是美国广播公司新闻医学组的撰稿人。
Why eye protection might be a necessary precaution against COVID-19
As evidence mounts that the virus that causesCOVID-19can be transmitted through your eyes, researchers suggest that people in high-risk categories should wear eye protection, in addition to practicing social distancing and wearing a mask.
People in high-risk categories, as indicated by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, include older adults and people of any age who have serious underlying medical conditions, in addition to frontline workers.
The CDC has not issued formal guidance to the general public for eye protection wear, only for health care workers.
The agency website says that people should wear eye protection in "areas with moderate to substantial community transmission" but that in areas with little to no community transmission "eye protection is considered optional, unless otherwise indicated as part of standard precautions."
When it comes to coronavirus transmission through the eyes, it's not just touching your eyes that is potentially dangerous. Research suggests that the virus can also possibly transmit through the eyes, mouth and nose, from direct exposure of a droplet from coughing, sneezing or even yelling.
Nurse Amy Tyson adjusts her personal protective equipment before caring for a COVID-19 patient in the Intensive Care Unit at Sharp Memorial Hospital amidst the coronavirus pandemic on May 6, 2020, in San Diego.
A recentstudypublished in Lancet reviewed the risk of viral transmission with social distancing, face covering and eye protection. Although not conclusive, this large study suggests that you are three times less likely to get COVID-19 if you wear eye protection.
Specifically, the study shows that face shields, goggles and glasses were associated with a lower risk of infection compared to no eye covering, with a reduction of risk to 6% from 16%.
Hospitals and health care settings have different policies in place to protect individuals from COVID-19 transmission through the eyes, according to Dr. Todd Ellerin, chief of infection prevention at South Shore Health.
"It is my recommendation that for our patients, our universal precautions should include wearing a mask, a face shield, and hand hygiene," he told ABC News.
Medical workers don personal protective equipment before entering the room of a patient with COVID-19 in a Stamford Hospital intensive care unit, on April 24, 2020, in Stamford, Conn.
But what about outside of the hospital, in everyday life?
According to some researchers, it might be a good idea for everyday people to don eye protection in addition to a mask - especially if you have an underlying medical condition or you work in a job with a lot of interface with the public, such as at a grocery store.
"We know from feline and mouse models of other coronaviruses that infection through the eye is possible. However, given the above evidence, wearing eye protection in high-risk situations seems prudent," said Dr. Vincente Diaz, specialist in ocular immunology and infectious diseases and assistant professor of clinical ophthalmology at Yale University School of Medicine.
"If choosing between glasses and contacts, glasses can provide an additional protective barrier. If in a situation where one may come in contact with COVID positive patients, PPE with a shield can provide more protection."
We are still learning about COVID-19, but from what we do know, this highly contagious virus can introduce itself to the body through many entries. If worn, eye protection should be used with the other transmission-mitigating measures, including a face mask, social distancing and basic hand hygiene.
Ayodola Adigun, M.D., is a fellow in child and adolescent psychiatry at Yale University and contributor to the ABC News Medical Unit.
