A team of docs and lab heads over at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine released a new report suggesting eyes and the surrounding tissues might very well be perfect gateways for COVID-19 to get inside us -- this after they examined dead people.

Long story short ... the scientists studied a group of 10 cadavers -- who did not die from anything coronavirus-related -- and found that their eyes and the area underneath their eyelids produced a solid amount ACE2 -- an enzyme known to facilitate COVID-19's permeation of the human body. This enzyme is found in lots of places -- like in the mouth and lungs -- but until now, it wasn't known our eyes had 'em in such copious amounts.

That's a huge problem, obviously -- but it gets worse. There's another enzyme called TMPRSS2 which further helps the virus slip through our pores and blood vessels ... and the Johns Hopkins crew found that our eyes have a crap-ton of that floating around as well.

Here's the kicker ... the group goes so far as to say that tears could possibly be a way of transmitting the virus and spreading to surfaces and/or to the others -- depending on where you're crying. For the record, this new study has not been peer-reviewed by others yet.

Still, it's scary to think about. Of course, we've heard the pros tell us not to rub our eyes during these times -- now, ya have even more reason to refrain from an eye scratch.