MUST READ! Covid-19 Clinical Care: One Third Of Covid-19 Patients Exhibit Ocular (Eye) Abnormalities
Source: Covid-19 Clinical Care Apr 02, 2020 4 years, 3 weeks, 2 days, 5 hours, 10 minutes ago
Covid-19 Clinical Care: Medical researchers and ophthalmologists from the Department of Ophthalmology, The First College of Clinical Medical Science, Yichang Central People’s Hospital, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center and Sun Yat-Sen University have published findings form a new study that shows that almost a third of Covid-19 patients exhibit ocular abnormalities.
Previous studies on clinical manifestations of Covid-19 had overlooked this area.
The study findings and reports have been published in the
JAMA Ophthalmology Journal by the American Medical Association.
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamaophthalmology/fullarticle/2764083 and also
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamaophthalmology/fullarticle/2764084
Dr Ping Wu, M.D., from the Yichang Central People's Hospital in China, and colleagues examined ocular manifestations and viral prevalence in the conjunctiva in a case series of 38 patients with clinically confirmed COVID-19 treated from Feb. 9 to 15, 2020. The ocular signs and symptoms and results of blood tests and reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) from nasopharyngeal and conjunctival swabs for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) were analyzed.
The medical researchers found that 28 of the patients had positive findings for COVID-19 on RT-PCR from nasopharyngeal swabs, and two of these patients had positive findings for SARS-CoV-2 in their conjunctival specimens as well.
Ocular manifestations consistent with conjunctivitis, including conjunctival hyperemia, chemosis, epiphora, or increased secretions were seen in 12 patients (31.6 percent). Compared with those without ocular symptoms, patients with ocular symptoms were more likely to have higher white blood cell count and neutrophil count and higher levels of procalcitonin, C-reactive protein, and lactate dehydrogenase. Eleven of 12 patients with ocular abnormalities had positive results for SARS-CoV-2 on nasopharyngeal RT-PCR; two of these had positive results for SARS-CoV-2 on conjunctival and nasopharyngeal swabs.
Dr Wu told Thailand Medical News, "These preliminary results are shared in an effort to inform ophthalmologists and others around the world regarding ocular symptoms with Covid-19.”
Dr Alfred Sommer, MD, MHS, from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health commented, “The primary importance of this finding is epidemiologic: it confirms other reports that the virus can invade the conjunctiva, which might, in turn, serve as a source of its spread.”
The researchers also advised that healthcare professionals providing care and treatment to Covid-19 patients should also pay attention to such ocular abnormalities and for treatment.
For more on the latest on
Covid-19 clinical care developments, keep logging on to
Thailand Medical News.
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