Covid-19 and conjunctivitis reviewed

A literature review published in Clinical and Experimental Optometry has considered questions regarding the transmission of Covid-19 and the ocular surface.

Authors suggested that it is possible that coronaviruses may not bind to ocular surface cells and initiative infection. Hypotheses that the virus could travel from the nasopharynx or through the conjunctival capillaries to the ocular surface during infection are also examined.

In the summary, it was noted that while coronavirus infection is rarely associated with conjunctivitis, there have been occasional findings of conjunctivitis in confirmed Covid-19 patients.