Can You Get Infected With Covid-19 Through Your Eyes

You can catch COVID-19 if an infected person coughs or sneezes and contagious droplets enter your nose or mouth. But can you become ill if the virus lands in your eyes?

Researchers analyzed data from 38 patients infected with COVID-19 from Hubei Province, China, and found 12 (31.6%; 95% CI, 17.5%-48.7%) individuals had ocular manifestations, including epiphora, conjunctival congestion, or chemosis.

These symptoms commonly occur in patients with severe systemic manifestations of COVID-19 and are consistent with conjunctivitis, or pink eye. None of the 12 patients experienced blurred vision. However, “by univariate analysis, patients with ocular symptoms were more likely to have higher white blood cell and neutrophil counts and higher levels of procalcitonin, C-reactive protein, and lactate dehydrogenase than patients without ocular symptoms,” the researchers found.

Possible coronavirus transmission through the eyes

When it comes to transmission through the eyes, the American Optometric Association (AOA) indicates the coronavirus might enter your body through the conjunctiva and then spread throughout your body through blood vessels within the conjunctiva.

The conjunctiva is the clear, thin membrane that covers part of the front of the eye as well as the inner part of the eyelids.

Some evidence suggests conjunctivitis, which most of us know as pink eye, could be a symptom of COVID-19. However, this is said to be rare, with pink eye developing in an estimated 1% to 3% of people with coronavirus.

There’s the same chance of infection with SARS-CoV-2, says Duh. “If there are droplets that an infected individual is producing by coughing or sneezing or even speaking, then the front of the eyes are directly exposed, just like the nasal passages are exposed. In addition, people rub and touch their eyes a lot. So there’s certainly already the vulnerability.”

Tears unlikely for coronavirus transmission

Another new study delivers some good news about transmission of the coronavirus via tears. For this study, published in March 2020 by the journal Ophthalmology, researchers in Singapore collected tear samples from 17 COVID-19 patients. They detected no traces of the coronavirus in the patients’ tears, but the virus populated the patients’ noses and throats.

“Despite this reassuring news, it’s important for people to understand that guarding your eyes as well as your hands and mouth can slow the spread of respiratory viruses like the coronavirus,” says the ophthalmology group, which publishes the journal.“The virus has been detected in tears and conjunctival swab specimens from individuals with COVID-19,” Duh says. “If someone rubs their eyes and then touches someone else or touches a surface, that kind of transmission mechanism could occur.”

“It again highlights how contagious the coronavirus is and how stealthy it can be in its contagiousness,” he says.If it turns out that the coronavirus can infect the eyes, the virus could persist there as a source of contagion, Duh says. “The eyes and tears could serve as a source of infection to others for longer.” He noted a case of a COVID-infected woman with conjunctivitis who still had detectable virus in her eyes 3 weeks after her symptoms started.

How you can help flatten the curve

So, what should you do to curb the spread of the current threat known as the novel coronavirus? Here are some tips:

Wash your hands frequently and thoroughly with soap and water. If you don’t have access to soap or water, clean your hands with an alcohol-based sanitizer.

Resist the urge to touch your eyes, nose and mouth.

Stay away from people who’ve been exposed to or contracted the coronavirus.

Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze, or use the inside of your elbow. Throw tissues in the trash immediately after using them.

Meanwhile, a growing number of health care professionals and disease specialists recommend wearing a non-medical face mask when outside your home to prevent unknowingly spreading the coronavirus. In many cases, people who have the virus don’t realize they could be infecting others because they aren’t exhibiting any symptoms.

Previously, experts said people shouldn’t wear face masks (even non-medical) unless they were sick and coughing, or unless they were going to be in close contact with someone who has the virus. Some health care professionals are sticking to that advice. 

Medical masks are in increasingly short supply and should be reserved for health care workers, health officials say.

The importance of eye protection for medical professionals

Given the potential for transmission of the new coronavirus through our eyes, all front-line medical workers should protect their eyes, the American Optometric Association advises. This recommendation includes wearing a properly fitted N95 face mask along with glasses, goggles or a face shield that protect the eyes.

In addition, the CDC urges eye care professionals to put off routine eye care visits and elective procedures. Only emergency/urgent care patients are being seen by most eye care professionals until a time when safety guidelines around the transmission of COVID–19 are better understood.

It probably wouldn’t hurt, but I think the more important thing would be to take precautions: wearing a face mask, washing your hands, cleaning the seats and tray tables in front of you, and not touching things and touching your face and eyes.