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In December 2019, the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV2 emerged from Wuhan,
China and rapidly spread worldwide, causing thousands of deaths due to severe
acute respiratory syndrome. Several patients who were tested positive for
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) presented with ocular symptomatology, such
as eye redness and irritation, posing a question on how coronavirus can affect
the eye and its components. Typically, coronaviruses cause self-limiting upper
respiratory infections, with a wide spectrum of clinical manifestations. Ocular
tropism of respiratory viruses, coronaviruses included, is proven in animal
models, producing a broad spectrum of ocular manifestations from conjunctivitis
and anterior uveitis to optic neuritis and retinitis. Although humans rarely
present ocular complications, conjunctivitis may be an ocular manifestation of
SARS-CoV-2 infection. Ocular manifestations consist in conjunctival hyperemia,
chemosis, epiphora, or increased secretions. According to some authors, there
could be a positive correlation between these ocular abnormalities and the
severity of the pneumonia caused by SARS-CoV2. Ocular involvement is important
mainly for the risk of transmission through infected tears and secretions. In
fact, there is a study suggesting that ophthalmologists are among the physicians
who were more infected by this novel coronavirus, compared to other
specialties. Indeed, Li Wenliang, a Chinese ophthalmologist was one of the
first doctors who sounded the alarm about the spread of this novel Coronavirus.
Thus, ophthalmologists and other healthcare professionals should adopt
appropriate measures in order to prevent virus spread.
Keywords: Coronavirus, SARS-CoV2, Conjunctivitis, Epiphora,
COVID-19
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