Simple solutions for fogging of spectacles on wearing surgical masks.

Surgical challenge

During day-to-day wearing of surgical masks, especially in the time of the COVID-19 pandemic, vision is hampered for health care workers who wear glasses due to fogging (Fig 1 , A). Although there are various measures, such as hydrogel patches, that can be used to prevent fogging, they may not be available or affordable in resource-poor settings.

Fig 1

A, The normal positioning of a surgical mask leads to fogging of the spectacles. B, The absence of fogging after pinching the wire/metal strip on the upper border of the mask to make a small tent-like structure at the midline. C, The absence of fogging after the application of a paper-based adhesive tape along the upper margin of the mask.

Solution

To overcome this problem, either of the following 2 simple solutions can be used. The wire/metal strip on the upper border of the mask can be pinched to make a small tent-like structure (Fig 1, B). This permits the humid breath to exit through without having contact with the glasses, thus permitting comfortable vision.

The second innovation is application of Micropore (3M India Ltd) or another paper-based adhesive tape along the upper margin of the mask, with half of its width attached to the outer surface of the mask and the remaining half over the skin beneath the eyes (Fig 1, C). The length of this single adhesive tape should be at least equal to the interpupillary distance for optimal results. Although there is literature on the use of paper adhesive tapes in an oblique manner to prevent fogging, our innovation is easy to use and can be self-applied with the help of a mirror without the need for an assistant, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. These simple and cost-effective techniques can be very useful for people wearing spectacles.