We're Going to Have Another Pandemic. You Need Eye Protection.

We’re going to have another pandemic, and soon.

Scientists have done the math. They’ve made the models. The days when we only had a pandemic once every century?

They’re over.

We’ve entered the age of consequences.

Climate models already tell us we can expect mega storms like Helene along with mega floods and mega droughts, mega fires, and mega heat domes about once every decade (or sooner) as we tumble into a world 1.5-2C degrees above the pre-industrial temperature average. The same goes for diseases. We can now expect a pandemic on the same time scale. And honestly, the facts on the ground tell us that even these grim scenarios offer the most conservative warnings.

You know it’s bad when the climate deniers have started blaming secret weather machines for what’s happening. So, more pandemics are just another consequence of our collective failures to take action.

Maybe you’ve seen the latest news destroying the myth that bird flu was mild in cows. That was another convenient denial. In reality, bird flu is killing so many cows they can’t even cremate them fast enough. They’re rotting in the sun, covered in flies, exposed to whatever comes across them.

The spillover is happening.

We’re watching it.

If bird flu doesn’t start the next pandemic, it could be Mpox, Marburg, or a range of other diseases. They’re all causing more outbreaks, and the outbreaks are getting worse. Even if we don’t see another full-blown pandemic, the threat remains. What’s worse, a pandemic caused by a single virus, or being thrown back to the mid-19th century when several diseases spread rampant all the time?

We all have two choices. Everyone can continue whining about how traumatized they are by the last pandemic while letting the next one traumatize us even more, or we can do something to prepare. One of those things involves eye protection, something that has gone largely undiscussed in the conversation on preparedness. Turns out, it’s not quite as simple as you might think.

Why eye protection?

Here’s the TL;DR:

1. You can get infected in the eyes via droplet transmission.
2. Airborne entry into the eyes is unlikely, but possible.
3. It’s not strange to take extra precautions.
4. Simplest best option: Uvex/HexArmor safety goggles.
5. They make versions that fit over glasses and seal okay.
6. You can also buy them from 3M, Draegar, etc.
7. Don’t just get hardware safety goggles.
8. They don’t seal well.
9. You can buy prescription goggles with gaskets.
10. Get anti-fog coating when available.
11. You can buy prescription inserts for full respirators.
12. You can go full PAPR.
13. They’re a little expensive.

The H5N1 strain of bird flu “has a strong affinity” for “sialic acid receptors, which are present in the lower respiratory tract of humans” as well as “on the conjunctiva.” Basically: Birds, cows, and people have bird flu receptors in their noses and their eyes, which means you can get it either way. Right now, poultry and dairy workers face the most risk because they spend the most time with farm animals. On the other hand, this virus has continually caught the scientific community off guard, doing things they didn’t think would happen.

So…

Experts have always known that viruses like Covid can infect you through your eyes. It’s rare, but it happens. According to MacArthur genius aerosol scientist Linsey Marr, “infection can happen via eyes” and “large droplets can land there, but aerosols are unlikely to deposit…” So if I’m in line at a crowded DMV office, where I have no choice but to go, I’m not sure I want to calculate the difference between aerosolized and respiratory droplets.

I’ll just wear goggles.

Honestly, lack of eye protection probably explains a few cases when someone swears they masked and still got sick. It’s looking like bird flu will develop two modes of transmission: respiratory, and optical.

Yes, it sounds unfair. Nature doesn’t care.

Sure, you can buy goggles. Unfortunately, most goggles were designed to handle splashes, not airborne pathogens.

They’re vented.

Companies like 3M sell a few non-vented goggles. You can look at this breakdown on goggles by Satoshi Akima. He discusses brands like Uvex (known as HexArmor in the U.S.) and Bolle. They offer goggles that seal. They also sell “gasketted” goggles. The gaskets provide extra protection against particles in the air.

Otherwise, you’re going to need to cover those vents. Maybe you can do it with tape, or maybe you can use a hot glue gun to fill them. You’re also going to need to make sure those goggles come with some kind of anti-fog coating. You can buy anti-fog sprays, but word on the street is they don’t work very well and they can damage lenses.

Have you ever worn goggles that fog up?

It’s not fun.

You can wear a full-face respirator. Several companies sell them, including 3M and Draeger. Make sure you get the right filter box. You need one that filters particulates. For example, the 60926 box works well.

Here’s more info.

Also, do you wear prescription glasses?

The next part is important.

More than 40 percent of Americans are near-sighted. As this guy explains, you can’t just wear a full-face respirator over your lenses. That breaks the seal. It breaks the seal so bad that it renders your respirator nearly useless in a fit test. It’s the outer seal that protects you from stuff, not the inner one.

Some companies sell spectacle kits that you can fit inside your respirator. Give them your prescription, and they make the insert, including the lenses. Their kits fit some of the most popular brands and models.

(They’re expensive.)

Companies like Uvex/HexArmor sell oversized goggles like the MX500 and the LT300, designed to fit over your glasses. They come with a little nook to seal around the arms. At $25, it’s probably the best affordable option.

You can technically wear contact lenses under goggles or a respirator. The safety folks don’t recommend it. If you wear contacts, you know sometimes they need adjustment. On a bad day, they can cause irritation and you have to take them out. And eventually, you have to take them out no matter what. You can’t sleep in them. Have you ever lost a contact lens in the back of your eye? It’s pure hell. They’re not ideal in a situation where you need eye protection for long periods.

You can order prescription safety goggles, but they need to seal to your face. You can find those at companies like RX-Safety, who sell prescription goggles with gasket seals.

On the more expensive end, you can buy a powered air-purifying respirator (PAPR) or a full hood respirator. They could be worth it if you have the money. As a bonus, nobody can accuse you of hiding your identity.

Some companies make prescription diving masks, but they don’t fit so great over an N95 mask. For my last resort, I’ve started looking at prescription swim goggles.

There’s some good options, but no perfect solution for eye protection if you need prescription lenses. It's amazing that late-stage capitalism can churn out all kinds of junk we don't want, but never the things we need.

Also:

With greater protection comes greater social stigma. Some of us don’t care, but it’s not something to be dismissed. Even many people who readily wear an N95 show some reluctance to adopt full-face respirators. We’re going to have to take a nuanced approach here, normalizing eye protection while also recognizing that an N95 mask or equivalent is still mostly sufficient.

Bottom line:

We should be developing better eye protection.

Instead, it looks like some of us will be sporting prescription swim goggles at the beginning of the next pandemic.

I’m only half-kidding.

What a mess.