SynthesisAntimicrobial resistance and infection control2021
The effect of eye protection on SARS-CoV-2 transmission: a systematic review.
Synthesis in Antimicrobial resistance and infection control, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 15 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
15 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Physical interventions to interrupt or reduce the spread of respiratory viruses.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2023Pooled it
- Contact dermatitis caused by prevention measures during the COVID-19 pandemic: a narrative review.Frontiers in public health · 2023Pooled it
- Effect of Wearing Glasses on Risk of Infection With SARS-CoV-2 in the Community: A Randomized Clinical Trial.JAMA network open · 2022Trial
- Infection prevention and control adherence among SARS-CoV-2 infected healthcare workers in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: lessons for future outbreaks.Tropical medicine and health · 2026Article
- Functional crosstalk between the lung and eye: a new frontier in chronic lung diseases.Archives of toxicology · 2025Review
- Effectiveness of Personal Protective Equipment against Coronavirus Disease 2019 Transmission: A Case-Control Study.The American journal of tropical medicine and hygiene · 2025Article
- Assessment of dental clinics' infection control function using a checklist during the COVID-19 pandemic.BMC oral health · 2024Article
- The effects of public health and social measures (PHSM) implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic: An overview of systematic reviews.Cochrane evidence synthesis and methods · 2024Review
- Eyeglasses and risk of COVID-19 transmission-analysis of the Virus Watch Community Cohort study.International journal of infectious diseases : IJID : official publication of the International Society for Infectious Diseases · 2024Article
- Antiseptics: An expeditious third force in the prevention and management of coronavirus diseases.Current research in microbial sciences · 2024Review
- Non-Pharmacological Strategies and Interventions for Effective COVID-19 Control: A Narrative Review.Journal of clinical medicine · 2023Review
- New insights from nanotechnology in SARS-CoV-2 detection, treatment strategy, and prevention.Materials today. Chemistry · 2023Review
- SARS-CoV-2 in brief: from virus to prevention.Osong public health and research perspectives · 2022Article
- Association of COVID-19 Infection With Wearing Glasses in a High-Prevalence Area in Denmark and Sweden.JAMA ophthalmology · 2022Article
- Pulmonary function testing during SARS-CoV-2: An ANZSRS/TSANZ position statement.Respirology (Carlton, Vic.) · 2022Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
5 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundThe effect of eye protection to prevent SARS-CoV-2 infection in the real-world remains uncertain. We aimed to synthesize all available research on the potential impact of eye protection on transmission of SARS-CoV-2.
methodsWe searched PROSPERO, PubMed, Embase, The Cochrane Library for clinical trials and comparative observational studies in CENTRAL, and Europe PMC for pre-prints. We included studies that reported sufficient data to estimate the effect of any form of eye protection including face shields and variants, goggles, and glasses, on subsequent confirmed infection with SARS-CoV-2.
resultsWe screened 898 articles and included 6 reports of 5 observational studies from 4 countries (USA, India, Columbia, and United Kingdom) that tested face shields, goggles, and wraparound eyewear on 7567 healthcare workers. The three before-and-after and one retrospective cohort studies showed statistically significant and substantial reductions in SARS-CoV-2 infections favouring eye protection with odds ratios ranging from 0.04 to 0.6, corresponding to relative risk reductions of 96% to 40%. These reductions were not explained by changes in the community rates. However, the one case-control study reported odds ratio favouring no eye protection (OR 1.7, 95% CI 0.99, 3.0). The high heterogeneity between studies precluded any meaningful meta-analysis. None of the studies adjusted for potential confounders such as other protective behaviours, thus increasing the risk of bias, and decreasing the certainty of evidence to very low.
conclusionsCurrent studies suggest that eye protection may play a role in prevention of SARS-CoV-2 infection in healthcare workers. However, robust comparative trials are needed to clearly determine effectiveness of eye protections and wearability issues in both healthcare and general populations.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.