A 10 minute 'no pickup' rule for items within 500m of your spawn point (or similar) would fix it.... right?

Some of them you can get via first person with the 'pick up item' command, but not all of them, and never with the inventory system.

I've got the same, I've kept this guy alive for about 8 hours, the only time I've actually been injured/sick was just after spawning.

Not had any messages other than hungry/thirsty in at least 4 hours (which are immediately fixed as I have a backpack full of canteens and food), but the colours are still desaturated.
Also, when I spawn into a new server everything is blurry, However I have found that if I go to the video settings it immediately clears that.

It's just not yet resetting the 2D filters when you heal up :/.

If anything, you get the most glare when the light is coming from your 1 to 2 o-clock position; as this illuminates your face/eye the most causing that to be reflected in the lens.

However, in truth lens glass reflects very little light, it's typically of a type and quality with very clear optical properties (this is done intentionally as otherwise you would loose light from the target to the reflection; making the optic less effective.... also, regular glass would make the optic's glass a shiny surface, not something you wish to have with you on the battle field)

Likewise, Switch from a TWS to the SOS and switch fire mode, this gives you a Thermal/Optical scope.