Chen, L., Deng, C., Chen, X., Zhang, X., Chen, B., Yu, H., Qin, Y., Xiao, K., Zhang, H. and Sun, X. (2020), Ocular manifestations and clinical characteristics of 535 cases of COVID‐19 in Wuhan, China: a cross‐sectional study. Acta Ophthalmol., 98: e951-e959

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/aos.14472

Ocular manifestations and clinical characteristics of 535 cases of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China: a cross-sectional study

Washington State University at Tri-Cities

Some patients who test positive for SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) have presented with conjunctivitis or conjunctival congestion, and ocular secretions have been observed in patients with positive SARS-CoV-2 serology. These observations raise the possibility that SARS-CoV-2 can cause conjunctivitis, but the relationship remains unclear because few studies have directly compared the two. The ocular system has also been proposed as a potential route of viral transmission.

Effects of COVID-19 on the Ocular System

In this cross sectional study, researchers aimed to investigate the ocular manifestations and outcomes in 216 children (median age = 7.25) from Wuhan infected with COVID-19.  49 out of the 216 children (22.7%) exhibited ocular manifestations, and for nine of the children, ocular symptoms were their first symptoms of COVID-19.  Conjunctival discharge was the most common ocular manifestation found in the children, followed by eye rubbing and conjunctival congestion.  Additionally, it was determined that children having systemic symptoms or having a cough had a higher likelihood of exhibiting ocular manifestations of COVID-19.  However, all of the ocular symptoms were relatively mild. 

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