Coronavirus live news: New Zealand passes 13 days without case as Germany reveals major stimulus plan
€130bn German package cuts VAT, offers cash grants; Mumbai introduces new restrictions after hurricane; Italy opens borders; Follow the latest updates
- New Zealand marks 13 days without new Covid-19 case
- Global report: Mexico and Brazil hit highest daily deaths
- Exclusive: governments and WHO changed Covid policy bases on suspect data from tiny US company
- WHO reports 100,000 new cases a day for five straight days
- Coronavirus latest: at a glance
Associated Press is exploring questions relating to the coronavirus pandemic, including: “Can I get Covid-19 through my eyes or ears?”.
Here is the verdict:
It’s possible through the eyes, but not likely through the ears.
As with the nose and mouth, doctors say the eyes may be a route of infection if someone with the virus coughs or sneezes nearby. Infection is also possible when rubbing your eyes with hands that have been exposed to the virus.
Tears from an infected person could also spread the virus.
Frequent hand washing, social distancing and the use of facial coverings in public are ways to keep the virus from spreading, including through the eyes.
Glasses may also offer added protection, according to the American Academy of Ophthalmology. Health care workers are advised to use safety goggles when treating potentially infected patients.
Ears, on the other hand, are not believed to be a route of COVID-19 infection, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The skin in the outer ear canal is more like regular skin, unlike the tissue in the mouth, nose and sinuses. That creates a barrier that makes it difficult for the virus to enter, according to Dr. Benjamin Bleier at Massachusetts Eye and Ear in Boston.
China on Thursday said foreign airlines blocked from operating in the country over virus fears would be allowed to resume limited flights, lifting a de facto ban on US carriers, Agence France-Presse reports. This comes a day after Washington ordered the suspension of all Chinese travel into and out of the US.
The apparent decision to step back by Beijing follows rising tensions between the world’s two superpowers over a series of issues including Donald Trump’s accusations over China’s handling of the pandemic, Hong Kong and Huawei.
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