By VANESSA CHALMERS HEALTH REPORTER FOR MAILONLINE and STEPHEN MATTHEWS HEALTH EDITOR FOR MAILONLINE<\/p>\n
The killer coronavirus rapidly sweeping the world could be caught through the eyes, scientists have today warned.<\/p>\n
Chinese doctor Wang Guangfa fears he may have contracted the SARS-like infection because he wasn’t wearing protective goggles.<\/p>\n
Leading experts confirmed it is ‘absolutely possible’, saying the virus can enter the eyes by touching them \u2013 if it is on a patient’s hands.<\/p>\n
And they even warned the virus \u2013 thought to be spread through sneezes and coughs \u2013 can roam through the body to reach the eye.<\/p>\n
Twenty-six patients have died in the coronavirus outbreak in China, which has struck down more than 900 people and spread as far as the US.<\/p>\n
![\"Wang](\"https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2020\/01\/21\/17\/23688474-7912457-image-a-8_1579626658595.jpg\")
<\/p>\nWang Guangfa has been infected with the new virus in China after being part of a team of doctors investigating it in Wuhan, where the virus emerged<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
![\"Dr](\"https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2020\/01\/21\/17\/23689604-7912457-image-a-6_1579627524931.jpg\")
<\/p>\nDr Guangfa heads the department of pulmonary medicine at Beijing’s Peking University First Hospital (pictured)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2020\/01\/24\/18\/23830570-0-image-a-53_1579888981642.jpg\")
<\/p>\nChinese authorities say 26 people have died and now more than 900 people caught the killer infection across the world, with cases cropping up in the US, Vietnam and Singapore<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Paul Kellam, professor of virus genomics at Imperial College London, said this is ‘absolutely possible’.<\/p>\n
‘If you have droplets sneezed at you, they will wash from your nose to your eye,’ he told MailOnline. ‘Your eye connects to your nose through the lacrimal duct.<\/p>\n
‘If you suffer from allergies and if your eyes run, so will your nose. Or if you put medication in your eyes, you\u2019ll taste at the back of your throat.<\/p>\n
‘It isn\u2019t unusual for flu and other viruses to be transmitted this way. You can also get respiratory infections through the eye.’<\/p>\n
Professor Kellam said it is for this reason healthcare workers must wear eye protection.<\/p>\n
And even though face masks that protect the mouth and nose are effective, they clearly ‘won’t protect the eyes’.<\/p>\n
![\"Leading](\"https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2020\/01\/24\/18\/23833022-7926243-image-a-65_1579889669880.jpg\")
<\/p>\nLeading experts have today confirmed it is ‘absolutely possible’ it could be spread through the eyes, saying the virus can enter the eyes by touching them \u2013 if it is on a patient’s hands<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
![\"And](\"https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2020\/01\/24\/18\/23833068-7926243-image-a-66_1579889678319.jpg\")
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