tetano
Editor, Senior Moderator
Clin Ophthalmol
. 2020 Sep 15;14:2701-2708.
doi: 10.2147/OPTH.S270006. eCollection 2020.
Assessment of Coronavirus in the Conjunctival Tears and Secretions in Patients with SARS-CoV-2 Infection in Sohag Province, Egypt
Hany Mahmoud[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Hatem Ammar[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Amr El Rashidy[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Amal H Ali[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Hesham M Hefny[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Amr Mounir[SUP] 1 [/SUP]
Affiliations
Abstract
Purpose: To assess SARS-CoV-2 virus in conjunctival tears and secretions of positive confirmed COVID-19 patients.
Methods: A case series study that included 28 positive COVID-19 patients confirmed with nasopharyngeal swab in the period 18-28 May 2020 at Sohag Tropical Medicine Hospital. Tears and conjunctival secretions of these confirmed positive cases were collected with disposable sampling swabs at interval of 3 days after admission due to respiratory symptoms. They were examined for the presence of SARS-CoV-2 by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assay.
Results: Thirteen (46.43%) patients were stable, 4 (14.28%) patients suffered from dyspnea, 3 (10.72%) patients suffered from high fever, 5 (17.85%) patients suffered from cough, and 3 (10.72%) patients were on mechanical ventilation. Ten (35.71%) patients suffered from conjunctivitis. Tear and conjunctival swabs were positive in 8 (28.57%) patients, while other patients' swabs were negative (71.43%). Out of 10 patients with conjunctival manifestations, 3 patients had SARS-CoV-2 in their conjunctiva using (RT-PCR) test. Out of the 18 patients with no conjunctival manifestations, 5 patients had positive SARS-CoV-2 in their conjunctiva using (RT-PCR) test.
Conclusion: The SARS-CoV-2 virus could be found in tears and conjunctival secretions in SARS-CoV-2 patients with or without conjunctivitis.
Keywords: RT‐PCR; SARS-CoV-2; conjunctiva; conjunctival secretions; swab; tears.
. 2020 Sep 15;14:2701-2708.
doi: 10.2147/OPTH.S270006. eCollection 2020.
Assessment of Coronavirus in the Conjunctival Tears and Secretions in Patients with SARS-CoV-2 Infection in Sohag Province, Egypt
Hany Mahmoud[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Hatem Ammar[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Amr El Rashidy[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Amal H Ali[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Hesham M Hefny[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Amr Mounir[SUP] 1 [/SUP]
Affiliations
- PMID: 32982162
- PMCID: PMC7508560
- DOI: 10.2147/OPTH.S270006
Abstract
Purpose: To assess SARS-CoV-2 virus in conjunctival tears and secretions of positive confirmed COVID-19 patients.
Methods: A case series study that included 28 positive COVID-19 patients confirmed with nasopharyngeal swab in the period 18-28 May 2020 at Sohag Tropical Medicine Hospital. Tears and conjunctival secretions of these confirmed positive cases were collected with disposable sampling swabs at interval of 3 days after admission due to respiratory symptoms. They were examined for the presence of SARS-CoV-2 by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assay.
Results: Thirteen (46.43%) patients were stable, 4 (14.28%) patients suffered from dyspnea, 3 (10.72%) patients suffered from high fever, 5 (17.85%) patients suffered from cough, and 3 (10.72%) patients were on mechanical ventilation. Ten (35.71%) patients suffered from conjunctivitis. Tear and conjunctival swabs were positive in 8 (28.57%) patients, while other patients' swabs were negative (71.43%). Out of 10 patients with conjunctival manifestations, 3 patients had SARS-CoV-2 in their conjunctiva using (RT-PCR) test. Out of the 18 patients with no conjunctival manifestations, 5 patients had positive SARS-CoV-2 in their conjunctiva using (RT-PCR) test.
Conclusion: The SARS-CoV-2 virus could be found in tears and conjunctival secretions in SARS-CoV-2 patients with or without conjunctivitis.
Keywords: RT‐PCR; SARS-CoV-2; conjunctiva; conjunctival secretions; swab; tears.