Ocular manifestations of a hospitalised patient with confirmed 2019 novel coronavirus disease

PurposeTo report the ocular characteristics and the presence of viral RNA of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in conjunctival swab specimens in a patient with confirmed 2019 novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19).Participant and methodsA 30-year-old man with confirmed COVID...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:British journal of ophthalmology Vol. 104; no. 6; pp. 748 - 751
Main Authors: Chen, Lu, Liu, Meizhou, Zhang, Zheng, Qiao, Kun, Huang, Ting, Chen, Miaohong, Xin, Na, Huang, Zuliang, Liu, Lei, Zhang, Guoming, Wang, Jiantao
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: England BMJ Publishing Group LTD 01.06.2020
BMJ Publishing Group
Subjects:
Adult
Antiviral Agents - therapeutic use
Betacoronavirus - pathogenicity
Body temperature
Clinical Science
Conjunctivitis, Viral - diagnosis
Conjunctivitis, Viral - drug therapy
Coronavirus Infections - complications
Coronavirus Infections - physiopathology
Coronavirus Infections - virology
Coronaviruses
COVID-19
Hospitals
Humans
Infections
Male
Nasal Cavity - virology
Ophthalmic Solutions - therapeutic use
Pandemics
Patients
Pharynx - virology
Pneumonia, Viral - complications
Pneumonia, Viral - physiopathology
Pneumonia, Viral - virology
Respiratory diseases
Ribavirin - therapeutic use
RNA, Viral - analysis
SARS-CoV-2
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2
Treatment Outcome
Vital signs
China
infection
conjunctiva
ISSN:0007-1161, 1468-2079, 1468-2079
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Summary:PurposeTo report the ocular characteristics and the presence of viral RNA of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in conjunctival swab specimens in a patient with confirmed 2019 novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19).Participant and methodsA 30-year-old man with confirmed COVID-19 and bilateral acute conjunctivitis which occurred 13 days after illness onset. Based on detailed ophthalmic examination, reverse transcription PCR (RT-PCR) was performed to detect SARS-CoV-2 virus in conjunctival swabs. The ocular characteristics, presence of viral RNA and viral dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 in the conjunctival specimens were evaluated.ResultsSlit lamp examination showed bilateral acute follicular conjunctivitis. RT-PCR assay demonstrated the presence of viral RNA in conjunctival specimen 13 days after onset (cycle threshold value: 31). The conjunctival swab specimens remained positive for SARS-CoV-2 on 14 and 17 days after onset. On day 19, RT-PCR result was negative for SARS-CoV-2.ConclusionSARS-CoV-2 is capable of causing ocular complications such as viral conjunctivitis in the middle phase of illness. Precautionary measures are recommended when examining infected patients throughout the clinical course of the infection. However, conjunctival sampling might not be useful for early diagnosis because the virus may not appear initially in the conjunctiva.
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ISSN:0007-1161
1468-2079
1468-2079
DOI:10.1136/bjophthalmol-2020-316304