StemCell Therapy

Can coronavirus be transmitted through the eyes?

Yes, there is a small chance. We know that Covid-19 is transmitted through aerosol droplets thatspread through person-to-person contact, hence why experts attribute social distancing measures as essential in slowing the spread of the virus.

Research suggests that there's asmall chance that the eyes could act as an entry point for the virus.In March, scientists from the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine found that eyes produce ACE-2, a protein used by the infection to bind cells, making eyes a target for the virus. In practice, this means if droplets from an infected persons sneeze or cough were to land on the eyes surface, the virus could enter the cells there. For this reason, its important to avoid touching your face as much as you can, as we know that the virus can live on certain surfaces for up to 72 hours.

There is also a small possibility that coronavirus can be spread through tears. A study undertaken in March by researchers from Singapore and the UK, which was published in Opthalmology, collected 64 tear samples from 17 patients with Covid-19 from the time they showed symptoms until they recovered about 20 days later. They found that the risk of transmission this way was low, and that infection was much more likely to occur through mucus and droplets expelled by coughing or sneezing.

There isn't much research in this area yet. However, Boris Johnson has claimed that he's wearing glasses for the first time in years as a result of the coronavirusand we do know that recovery from Covid-19can be long process which is different for everyone.Many people report symptoms, such as post-viral fatigue and shortness of breath, lingering long after they've recovered. There's always a small possibility that eye health could be affected long-term too.

"Periods on intensive care can be associated with severe dry eye and blurring of vision if the patient has not been conscious for a period and thus unable to naturally protect the eye by closing the eye lids, blinking and normal production of tears," said ProfBastawrous.

A report published by researchers at the National Institute for Infectious diseases in Italy found that the virus can persist in the eyes for up to 21 days. Healthcare workers sampled fluid from a 65-year-old woman's eyes - whose symptoms includedred eyes, a dry cough, sore throat and nasal congestion - almost every day for three weeks.Every sample revealed RNA, genetic material from SARS-CoV-2,the virus that causes Covid-19.

A spokesperson for the Moorfields Eye Hospital said: At present, there is very little evidence to suggest that Covid-19 can affect eyesight.Cases where Covid-19 is recorded alongside an impact on eyesight are rare, so we cannot establish a direct causal effect. We need more data to be collected on Covid-19 related eye conditions to see if there is an association.

For ProfBastawrous, the greater risk for eye health comes from people not being able to accessroutineservices as a result of Covid-19.

"For some people with vision threatening conditions this is leading to loss of vision who would normally have been able to be treated," he said. "This situation is likely to get worse as a consequence of the disruption to health systems rather than a direct effect of the virus on the eyes of visual pathways."

The answer to this question largely remains up to personal judgement. According to a paper led by the Centre for Ocular Research and Education in Canada, there is currently no evidence that contact lens wearers have an increased risk of contracting Covid-19 compared with wearers of spectacles.

However, it is likely that those who wear contact lenses will touch their faces more, so in practical termsit could be worth swapping to glasses if youre worried.

For those who do decide to continuewearing lenses, the eye care companyEssilor advises people to be stringent about washing theirhands before and after touching their eyes.The same applies to glasses; to be safe, wash them regularly with warm soapy water and dry them with a disposable paper towel.

In England, people are nowfree to drive unlimited distances. However, if you are worried about your eyesight after contracting coronavirus, it might be worth referring to the highway code to check if it's safe to drive, rather than taking a trip to find out.

Currently, the highway code guidelines statethat to drive, you must be able to read a vehicle number platein good daylightfrom a distance of 20 metres (or 20.5 metres where the old style number plate is used). If you need to wear glasses (or contact lenses) to do this, you mustwear them at all times while driving. The police have the power to require a driver to undertake an eyesight test

Read the original here:
Does coronavirus affect eyesight? Here's what you need to know - Telegraph.co.uk

This entry was posted on May 27, 2020 at 12:23 pm and is filed under Opthalmology. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed. |