Impact Of Face Mask Wearing On Bacterial Infective Keratitis

Since the wearing of face masks/coverings became compulsory in the UK in March 2020, the department wish to assess if the microbiology flora from corneal scrapes has changed.

Cornea department, Leicester Royal Infirmary, Leicester, England, United Kingdom.

This was a retrospective study to sample 2 months prior to compulsory face masks (January and February 2020) and compare this to the same time period a year on (January and February 2021). 91 scrapes were obtained from microbiology department.

The number of corneal scrapes did not differ in these two time periods (Npre= 43; Npost= 47). Mean ages were 57 (±23) years for the pre-COVID-19 group and 56.86 (±19.87) years for the COVID-19 group, no statistical significance neither in the ethnicity.

Pre-mask use the most common bacteria in the primary culture were Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa and in the mandatory mask group Staphylococcus aureus and coagulase negative staphylococcus.

In conclusion, Staphylococcus aureus and coagulase negative Staphylococcus where the most frequent microorganisms isolated in both groups, pre and post COVID-19.

There were isolated a greater variety of bacteria after the compulsory wearing of face masks probably due to the exhaled air toward the eyes, contaminating the area with oropharyngeal flora.