Health security

Coronavirus face mask causing glasses to fog? Here’s how to prevent misty lenses

Homemade face masks are becoming the norm as the coronavirus epidemic continues to ravage the United States, with some states — namely New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania and beyond — now requiring them in public. But if you are a glasses wearer, you may have noticed that wearing a face mask can cause your lenses to fog. So what can you do to prevent this?

Thankfully, there appears to be a simple solution. In a 2011 study from the Annals of the Royal College of Surgeons of England, researchers advised washing the glasses with soapy water “immediately” before wearing a face mask.

After shaking off any excess water, “let the spectacles air dry or gently dry off the lenses with a soft tissue before putting them back on. Now the spectacle lenses should not mist up when the face mask is worn,” they wrote.

Wondering why this works? The researchers explained this as well. When wearing face masks, air exhaled from your mouth moves upward and comes into contact with the lenses, ultimately causing them to fog.