Dr. Anthony Fauci recommended a new way to help curb the spread of the coronavirus.
The nation’s top infectious disease expert encouraged people to wear goggles or face shields so that “the mucosal surfaces” are protected during a Wednesday interview with ABC News chief medical correspondent Dr. Jennifer Ashton.
“You have mucosa in the nose, mucosa in the mouth, but you also have mucosa in the eye,” he stated. “Theoretically, you should protect all the mucosal surfaces. So if you have goggles or an eye shield, you should use it.”
Fauci, who has worked as the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases since 1984, noted that his advice is “not universally recommended” to date, “but if you really want to be complete, you should probably use it if you can.”
He also noted that the recommendation could also help slow the spread of influenza in a couple of months.
“It is inevitable that we’re going to have some degree of flu,” Fauci said. “I’m hoping that the wearing of masks and other coverings are going to not only protect us against COVID-19 but also help protect us against influenza.”
He encouraged people to get their flu shots in the coming months.
