Conjunctivitis Among The Symptoms Of Covid-19?
Conjunctivitis among the symptoms of Covid-19 has gained space in the news in recent days. Although this is a symptom that several medical associations had already reported since the start of the pandemic, its presence is now confirmed.
American health teams were the first to sound the alarm. In any case, neither the CDCs (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) nor the WHO have included conjunctivitis in the diagnostic protocol. In the scientific literature there are two studies on the subject:
- Research published in the Journal of Medical Virology isolated SARS-CoV-2 in the ocular secretions of some patients, suggesting the presence of Coronavirus in the conjunctiva of the eye.
- Another research, published in the New England Journal of Medicine , extracted data from 1099 Chinese patients with confirmed Covid-19. Conjunctival congestion occurred in 1 percent of cases.
What is conjunctivitis?
Without taking into account the Coronavirus, conjunctivitis is one of the most frequent eye diseases. It is usually a mild condition that heals in a short time.
It consists of an inflammation of the conjunctiva of the eye, a very thin mucous membrane that is located inside the eyelids and that covers the eyeball in its outer portion. When it is inflamed, the small blood vessels dilate and the eye appears red.
The conjunctiva in question among the symptoms of Covid-19 is to be attributed to SARS-COv-2. Outside of the current pandemic, however, it can be caused by bacteria or environmental factors.
This symptom, therefore, can be of viral, bacterial or allergic origin. There are also other conditions associated with conjunctivitis, such as Sjögren’s syndrome, a chronic autoimmune disease.
Conjunctivitis among the symptoms of Covid-19 according to the American Academy of Ophthalmology
The AAO issued a statement welcoming the information sent by the operators involved on the front line. Conjunctivitis is to be considered a symptom of Coronavirus.
The supporting hypothesis is that the aerosol that carries the COVID-19 virus is deposited on the conjunctiva of the eye. Recall that the transmission of the virus occurs through respiratory droplets emitted by infected people.
It does not happen only by direct transmission, we must also consider the particles that are deposited on surfaces and that we inadvertently bring to the face with our hands. This is why it is essential to disinfect rooms and wash your hands.
According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology, the patient who experiences conjunctivitis and fever, plus one of the respiratory symptoms, must immediately be considered a potential Covid-19 patient. Even more so if he has an epidemiological link, in other words he has been in contact with infected patients or comes from geographical areas at risk.
Based on these data, the Academy recommends that health care teams also protect their eyes and not just their nose and mouth. This new symptom of the disease modifies the protective measures making them more stringent.
Conjunctivitis among the symptoms of Covid-19 along with diarrhea and anosmia
In addition to conjunctivitis, other symptoms have been identified that could be indicative of Coronavirus, in addition to the classic symptoms. The Sociedad Española de Neurología, for example, suggests isolating people who experience a sudden loss of smell.
Along the same lines, digestive disorders, especially diarrhea, present in almost 50 percent of infected people , must be considered .
How to deal with the new symptoms of the Coronavirus?
Both conjunctivitis and loss of smell and taste, and diarrhea are to be considered carefully in the current context. Although the WHO has not yet included them on the list of main symptoms, medical associations recommend that those who suffer from such ailments take a tampon.
Being in a pandemic state, it is mandatory to take timely measures that reduce the contagion rate. For this reason, the alert is maximum and the attention to be paid to these symptoms is higher than usual.
Anyone who experiences any of these symptoms of Coronavirus should contact their doctor, pediatrician or medical guard. As indicated by the Ministry of Health, in case of doubts you should not go to the doctor or the emergency room. If you are unable to contact the general practitioner, click here to find the regional greens prepared.
