Look into the Patient’s Eyes—They May Hold Additional Clues to Their COVID-19 Status

A clearer picture of the effects of COVID-19 on the eyes of infected patients is emerging in new data from Hubei province, China. Researchers there have found ocular manifestations including epiphora, conjunctival congestion, and other conditions occur commonly in patients with confirmed COVID-19. While the retrospective study was small (38 patients), it produced several results that could be helpful to urgent care providers who treat patients without other, more definitive signs of disease. Roughly one third of patients who ultimately tested positive for COVID-19 had at least one ocular manifestation. It was then discovered that patients with ocular symptoms were more likely to have higher white blood cell and neutrophil counts, as well as higher levels of procalcitonin, C-reactive protein, and lactate dehydrogenase compared with patients who did not have ocular symptoms. The article, which was published in JAMA Ophthalmology, includes an untested hypothesis by the authors that SARS-CoV-2 could be transmitted via the eyes (such as through tears).