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Tear Tales: Ocular Transmission of COVID-19

Tear Tales: Ocular Transmission of COVID-19

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Researchers examine the potential of SARS-CoV-2 transmission through tears, uncovering significant insights even in patients without evident ocular symptoms.

Highlights:
  • The viral load in tear samples is generally lower than in nasopharyngeal secretions
  • Five out of 40 COVID-19 positive patients had the virus in their tear samples
  • Ocular transmission is possible even without evident eye-related symptoms
SARS-CoV-2 may be transmitted through ocular channels, emphasizing the significance of taking measures during ocular examinations of individuals diagnosed with COVID-19 (1 Trusted Source
The Characteristics of Ocular Findings and the Presence of SARS-CoV-2 in the Tears of Coronavirus Disease 2019 Patients

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Transmission of COVID-19 Through Tears

“It is worth noting that the viral load in conjunctival samples is generally lower when compared to nasopharyngeal secretions,” Kanishk Singh, MBBS, MD, from All India Institute of Medical Sciences, and colleagues wrote in Cureus. “Despite this disparity, concerns persist regarding the potential transmission of the disease through tear samples, even when obvious ocular signs and symptoms are absent.”

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Tear Samples Reveal COVID-19 Severity Insights

Researchers enrolled 40 patients who tested positive for COVID-19 using a nasopharyngeal, real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assay in a prospective, cross-sectional study from February to June 2021. In addition to a comprehensive eye examination, researchers took tear samples 48 hours after collecting naso-oropharyngeal samples and submitted them for RT-PCR analysis.
According to the study, 65% of subjects had moderate COVID-19, 15% had severe COVID-19, and the rest had light COVID-19. Five individuals tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 in their tear samples, but only one showed illness symptoms. However, only one of seven patients with ocular symptoms such as dry eyes, conjunctivitis, and lid edema tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 in their tears.

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Ocular Transmission Risk of COVID-19

“Despite the low prevalence of the virus found in tears, there is a potential risk of transmission through ocular routes,” the study authors wrote. “It is noteworthy that we observed a COVID-19-positive tear sample in patients with and without ocular symptoms. Therefore, it is important to consider the possibility of ocular transmission even in the absence of ocular manifestations.”

Reference:
  1. The Characteristics of Ocular Findings and the Presence of SARS-CoV-2 in the Tears of Coronavirus Disease 2019 Patients - (https://www.cureus.com/articles/169347#!/)

Source-Medindia


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