Universal face mask use does not increase the risk of presumed endophthalmitis following anti-VEGF injections but may decrease the risk of culture-positive endophthalmitis, according to a speaker at the virtual Wills Eye Conference.
“Early in the pandemic, studies ... suggested that patients wearing face masks may paradoxically increase one’s risk for endophthalmitis, with the thought being that patients may direct air jet streams toward the eyes,” Samir N. Patel, MD, said.
Patel and colleagues conducted a retrospective comparative cohort study including 12 centers across the