Written by Jahnavi Sarma |Updated : October 16, 2020 9:29 AM IST
COVID-19 is a viral disease that primarily affects the respiratory system. However, there are indications that it can also affect different organs and parts of the body. Experts suspected for a long time that the virus can also infiltrate the eyes. Now, scientists have more direct evidence of it. A new study from the General Hospital of the Central Theater Command in Wuhan, China, published in the journal JAMA Ophthalmology, says that there is strong scientific evidence of the virus affecting the eyes. The findings of the study are based on a patient in China who developed an acute glaucoma attack soon after recovering from COVID-19. Her doctors had to perform surgery to treat the condition, and tests of her eye tissue showed evidence of SARS-CoV-2.
The patient was a 64-year-old woman who was hospitalized for COVID-19 on Jan 31. Eighteen days later, her symptoms disappeared, and she tested negative for SARS-CoV-2. But about a week later, she experienced pain and vision loss in one eye, and then in her other eye a few days afterward. The patient had to be hospitalised again, where she was diagnosed with acute angle-closure glaucoma and cataract. Medication failed to bring down her eye pressure, so her doctors performed surgery -- taking tissue samples in the process. Tests of those samples turned up evidence that SARS-CoV-2 had invaded the eye tissues.
The case offers proof that SARS-CoV-2 can also infect ocular tissues in addition to the respiratory system. However, it is not possible to say whether the patient in this case contracted SARS-CoV-2 via her eyes. But experts say that this is a possibility -- whether through viral particles in the air or by touching her eyes with a virus-contaminated hand. Another big unknown is whether any lingering virus in patients' eye tissue will cause problems. Many experts agree that it is too early to talk about the implications for ocular health from having the virus floating around in the eye.
It is true that many patients with COVID-19 do develop the eye condition known as pink eyes or conjunctivitis. Here, the white part of the eye and inside of the eyelid becomes swollen, red and itchy. It also causes watering of the eyes and blurry vision in some cases. But the patient in the abovementioned study suffered acute angle-closure glaucoma. This is a serious condition in which pressure in the eyes suddenly rises due to fluid buildup. It requires prompt treatment to relieve the pressure, sometimes with surgery, to restore the eye's normal fluid movement. Experts have reserved judgement about whether this is the result of COVID-19 infection.
It is a known fact that some anatomical features of the eye make some people vulnerable to acute angle-closure glaucoma. This can also be triggered by certain medications. Since the patient who developed glaucoma was hospitalized and is likely to have received various drugs, that might have been the cause for the development of her condition. Experts agree that while this case is 'interesting', it leaves open a number of questions. One is whether the virus present in the eye tissue is actually infectious.
While it's not clear how the virus got into the patient's eyes, the experts agreed that the case underscores the importance of eye protection. For health care providers, that means goggles and face shields; for the average person, it is regular handwashing and keeping the hands away from the eyes. This will reduce the chance of any virus, including cold and flu bugs, from coming into contact with the eyes. While that may be enough in most cases, people caring for someone with COVID-19 at home may want to be extra cautious. Wearing eye protection in addition to a face mask is a good idea.
(With inputs from Agencies)
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