tetano
Editor, Senior Moderator
Vision (Basel)
. 2021 Oct 22;5(4):51.
doi: 10.3390/vision5040051.
SARS-CoV-2 in Conjunctiva and Tears and Ocular Symptoms of Patients with COVID-19
Teresa Rodríguez-Ares[SUP] 1 2 [/SUP], David Lamas-Francis[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Mercedes Treviño[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Daniel Navarro[SUP] 3 [/SUP], María Cea[SUP] 3 [/SUP], María Jesús López-Valladares[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Laura Martínez[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Francisco Gude[SUP] 2 4 [/SUP], Rosario Touriño[SUP] 1 2 [/SUP]
Affiliations
Abstract
This study investigates the presence of SARS-CoV-2 in conjunctival secretions and tears and evaluates ocular symptoms in a group of patients with COVID-19. We included 56 hospitalized patients with COVID-19 in this cross-sectional cohort study. Conjunctival secretions and tears were collected using flocked swabs and Schirmer strips for SARS-CoV-2 reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Assessment of ocular surface manifestations included an OSDI (Ocular Surface Disease Index) questionnaire. Patients had been admitted to hospital for an average of 2.4 days (range 0-7) and had shown general symptoms for an average of 7.1 days (range 1-20) prior to ocular testing. Four (7.1%) of 56 conjunctival swabs and four (4%) of 112 Schirmer strips were positive for SARS-CoV-2. The mean E-gene cycle threshold values (Ct values) were 31.2 (SD 5.0) in conjunctival swabs and 32.9 (SD 2.7) in left eye Schirmer strips. Overall, 17 (30%) patients presented ocular symptoms. No association was found between positive ocular samples and ocular symptoms. This study shows that SARS-CoV-2 can be detected on the conjunctiva and tears of patients with COVID-19. Contact with the ocular surface may transmit the virus and preventive measures should be taken in this direction.
Keywords: COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2; conjunctiva; coronavirus; ocular surface; tears.
. 2021 Oct 22;5(4):51.
doi: 10.3390/vision5040051.
SARS-CoV-2 in Conjunctiva and Tears and Ocular Symptoms of Patients with COVID-19
Teresa Rodríguez-Ares[SUP] 1 2 [/SUP], David Lamas-Francis[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Mercedes Treviño[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Daniel Navarro[SUP] 3 [/SUP], María Cea[SUP] 3 [/SUP], María Jesús López-Valladares[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Laura Martínez[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Francisco Gude[SUP] 2 4 [/SUP], Rosario Touriño[SUP] 1 2 [/SUP]
Affiliations
- PMID: 34698308
- DOI: 10.3390/vision5040051
Abstract
This study investigates the presence of SARS-CoV-2 in conjunctival secretions and tears and evaluates ocular symptoms in a group of patients with COVID-19. We included 56 hospitalized patients with COVID-19 in this cross-sectional cohort study. Conjunctival secretions and tears were collected using flocked swabs and Schirmer strips for SARS-CoV-2 reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Assessment of ocular surface manifestations included an OSDI (Ocular Surface Disease Index) questionnaire. Patients had been admitted to hospital for an average of 2.4 days (range 0-7) and had shown general symptoms for an average of 7.1 days (range 1-20) prior to ocular testing. Four (7.1%) of 56 conjunctival swabs and four (4%) of 112 Schirmer strips were positive for SARS-CoV-2. The mean E-gene cycle threshold values (Ct values) were 31.2 (SD 5.0) in conjunctival swabs and 32.9 (SD 2.7) in left eye Schirmer strips. Overall, 17 (30%) patients presented ocular symptoms. No association was found between positive ocular samples and ocular symptoms. This study shows that SARS-CoV-2 can be detected on the conjunctiva and tears of patients with COVID-19. Contact with the ocular surface may transmit the virus and preventive measures should be taken in this direction.
Keywords: COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2; conjunctiva; coronavirus; ocular surface; tears.