tetano
Editor, Senior Moderator
Infection
. 2020 Sep 17.
doi: 10.1007/s15010-020-01524-2. Online ahead of print.
Detection of SARS-CoV-2 in conjunctival secretions from patients without ocular symptoms
Xin Li[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Jasper Fuk-Woo Chan[SUP] 2 3 4 5 [/SUP], Kenneth Kai-Wang Li[SUP] 6 [/SUP], Eugene Yuk-Keung Tso[SUP] 7 [/SUP], Cyril Chik-Yan Yip[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Siddharth Sridhar[SUP] 2 3 4 [/SUP], Tom Wai-Hin Chung[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Kelvin Hei-Yeung Chiu[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Derek Ling-Lung Hung[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Alan Ka-Lun Wu[SUP] 8 [/SUP], Sandy Ka-Yee Chau[SUP] 9 [/SUP], Raymond Liu[SUP] 10 [/SUP], Kwok-Cheung Lung[SUP] 11 [/SUP], Anthony Raymond Tam[SUP] 12 [/SUP], Vincent Chi-Chung Cheng[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Kelvin Kai-Wang To[SUP] 2 3 4 [/SUP], Kwok-Hung Chan[SUP] 2 3 4 [/SUP], Ivan Fan-Ngai Hung[SUP] 13 14 15 [/SUP], Kwok-Yung Yuen[SUP] 2 3 4 5 [/SUP]
Affiliations
Abstract
Purpose: To evaluate the presence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in conjunctival secretions from patients without ocular symptoms.
Methods: Conjunctival swabs were prospectively collected from laboratory-confirmed Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients without ocular symptoms for reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and viral culture.
Results: A total of 158 conjunctival swabs were obtained from 49 laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 patients. The median duration of illness when the first conjunctival swab was obtained was 10 days (range 2-27 days). Four conjunctival swabs from four different patients (4/49, 8.2%) were positive for SARS-CoV-2 RNA by RT-PCR. The Ct values ranged from 32.7 to 37.7 (mean 35.4). Viral cultures were negative for all four RT-PCR-positive conjunctival swabs.
Conclusion: Conjunctival secretions of a minority of COVID-19 patients without ocular symptoms may contain relatively low levels of SARS-CoV-2 RNA, but their infectiousness remains undetermined. Appropriate infection control measures should be implemented during ophthalmological assessment of COVID-19 patients to prevent potential nosocomial transmission of SARS-CoV-2.
Keywords: Asymptomatic; Conjunctiva; RT-PCR; SARS-CoV-2; Shedding.
. 2020 Sep 17.
doi: 10.1007/s15010-020-01524-2. Online ahead of print.
Detection of SARS-CoV-2 in conjunctival secretions from patients without ocular symptoms
Xin Li[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Jasper Fuk-Woo Chan[SUP] 2 3 4 5 [/SUP], Kenneth Kai-Wang Li[SUP] 6 [/SUP], Eugene Yuk-Keung Tso[SUP] 7 [/SUP], Cyril Chik-Yan Yip[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Siddharth Sridhar[SUP] 2 3 4 [/SUP], Tom Wai-Hin Chung[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Kelvin Hei-Yeung Chiu[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Derek Ling-Lung Hung[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Alan Ka-Lun Wu[SUP] 8 [/SUP], Sandy Ka-Yee Chau[SUP] 9 [/SUP], Raymond Liu[SUP] 10 [/SUP], Kwok-Cheung Lung[SUP] 11 [/SUP], Anthony Raymond Tam[SUP] 12 [/SUP], Vincent Chi-Chung Cheng[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Kelvin Kai-Wang To[SUP] 2 3 4 [/SUP], Kwok-Hung Chan[SUP] 2 3 4 [/SUP], Ivan Fan-Ngai Hung[SUP] 13 14 15 [/SUP], Kwok-Yung Yuen[SUP] 2 3 4 5 [/SUP]
Affiliations
- PMID: 32944840
- DOI: 10.1007/s15010-020-01524-2
Abstract
Purpose: To evaluate the presence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in conjunctival secretions from patients without ocular symptoms.
Methods: Conjunctival swabs were prospectively collected from laboratory-confirmed Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients without ocular symptoms for reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and viral culture.
Results: A total of 158 conjunctival swabs were obtained from 49 laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 patients. The median duration of illness when the first conjunctival swab was obtained was 10 days (range 2-27 days). Four conjunctival swabs from four different patients (4/49, 8.2%) were positive for SARS-CoV-2 RNA by RT-PCR. The Ct values ranged from 32.7 to 37.7 (mean 35.4). Viral cultures were negative for all four RT-PCR-positive conjunctival swabs.
Conclusion: Conjunctival secretions of a minority of COVID-19 patients without ocular symptoms may contain relatively low levels of SARS-CoV-2 RNA, but their infectiousness remains undetermined. Appropriate infection control measures should be implemented during ophthalmological assessment of COVID-19 patients to prevent potential nosocomial transmission of SARS-CoV-2.
Keywords: Asymptomatic; Conjunctiva; RT-PCR; SARS-CoV-2; Shedding.