58 treated for eye damage after solar eclipse in Spain's Basque Country

The eclipse leaves 58 cases of eye injuries in the Basque Country

How many times do we have to repeat that you should not stare at the sun? Judging by the emergency rooms in the Basque Country, at least once more. Last Wednesday, August 13, a total solar eclipse was visible across much of the Basque Country. Despite the warnings, 58 people were treated in hospitals and health centers for eye problems: flashes of light, black spots, blurred vision. The figure, released by the Basque Health Department, reinforces the sarracena that astronomers have spent days trying to instill.

A warning ignored

The symptoms described are consistent with direct exposure to solar radiation without adequate protection. The cases were concentrated in the hours after the event. We are not talking about a simple discomfort: according to specialists, the injuries can be irreversible and seriously compromise vision. The message repeated before the eclipse — wear certified glasses with a specific filter — did not reach everyone. Or they did not care.

Some will call it recklessness or simple ignorance. But the figure leaves an uncomfortable question: if a universal and advance warning ends with 58 people affected, how effective are prevention campaigns when the passion for a spectacle gets in the way? The next time the sun disappears behind the moon, many will have learned the lesson. The 58 from this August, surely, too. In their own way.