Ophthalmologists’ strategy for the prevention and control of coronavirus pneumonia with conjunctivitis or with conjunctivitis as the first symptom

ABSTRACT

China is currently in a critical stage of controlling the outbreak of novel coronavirus pneumonia (COVID-19). As ophthalmologists working in the center of Wuhan city, the virus’s front line, we recently found conjunctivitis in five COVID-19 patients of a total of 92 COVID-19 patients.One of these five patients had conjunctivitis as the first symptom and was then diagnosed with COVID-19.These observations suggest the mechanism and pathway of transmission of the novel coronavirus need to be further clarified;the symptoms of conjunctivitis accompanying novel coronavirus infection and conjunctiva as an important entrance point of the virus need to be further verified;early diagnosis, implementation of medical isolation, and giving appropriate treatment to patients with asymptomatic and mild-symptom conjunctivitis are essential to prevent the spread of the epidemic;those with conjunctivitis symptoms should be distinguished from other types of viral conjunctivitis;strict personal protection measures should be taken;and more sensitive techniques should be developed as soon as possible for virus detection in tear and conjunctiva swabs.