As the immediate threat of Covid-19 subsides, companies are creating plans for introducing safe working practices. When it comes to sharing equipment, especially microscopes, there are concerns regarding cross-contamination and effective cleaning because most of the time an operator’s eyes come in direct contact with microscope eyepieces. As one study suggests, direct contact with industrial microscope eyepieces provides a potentially significant route of transmission of both bacterial and viral ocular infections [1]. In fact, the same study states the transmission rate of infection is 8.3 times than those who did not use microscopes.
Cross-contamination has a direct impact on the operator as well as a direct cost to the company. A case examining 145 cases of viral conjunctivitis in a microelectronics factory reported a cost of $647,000 associated to the outbreak [2]. Understandably infected operators should refrain from sharing the microscope until the condition heals, which could result in a cost of reduced production and extended deadlines.