Ocular Symptoms of SARS-CoV-2: Indication of Possible Ocular Transmission or Viral Shedding.
Ocul Immunol Inflamm
; 28(8): 1269-1279, 2020 Nov 16.
Article
in English
| MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-929716
ABSTRACT
The recently identified novel coronavirus (CoV), the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), causes the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). While published data about other highly infectious human COVs [that is, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) and the Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV)] provide helpful information about the infectivity of SARS-CoV-2, there is limited understanding surrounding knowledge of ocular manifestation of the virus. This paper reviews published data which reveal the presence of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in tears and conjunctival scrappings of some COVID-19 patients by real-time-polymerase chain reaction assay, although the detection rate is low compared to samples from respiratory sites. Nevertheless, the ocular complications from SARS-CoV-2 infection are uncommon. The evidence partly supports the eye as a portal of entry for SARS-CoV-2 to infect respiratory cells or viral shedding from respiratory cells via the nasolacrimal duct unto the ocular surface. The possibility of ocular secretions as source for SARS-CoV-2 to spread externally has substantial public health implications.
Keywords
Full text:
Available
Collection:
International databases
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Pneumonia, Viral
/
Eye Infections, Viral
/
Virus Shedding
/
Coronavirus Infections
/
Disease Transmission, Infectious
/
Conjunctiva
/
Pandemics
/
Betacoronavirus
Type of study:
Observational study
Limits:
Humans
Language:
English
Journal:
Ocul Immunol Inflamm
Journal subject:
Allergy and Immunology
/
Ophthalmology
Year:
2020
Document Type:
Article
Affiliation country:
09273948.2020.1799035
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