Don’t underestimate conjunctivitis. This may indicate COVID-19

COVID-19 continues to pose a threat to us. According to a government report, 627 new cases of coronavirus infection have been registered in the last week. This is 90 less than a week ago, but still experts warn that at the turn of July and August or August and September we will probably deal with another wave of coronavirusfor which the new sub-option Omicron X.BB.1.16 will be responsible, i.e. Arcturus. This mutation causes symptoms such as high fever, cough and, above all, itchy conjunctivitis.

Can conjunctivitis indicate COVID-19?

To date, conjunctivitis rarely occurs in patients with COVID-19. Although, according to scientists from the University of Alberta in Canada, red (pink) eye syndrome was also characteristic of earlier mutations. Already in 2020, they referred to a case described in the Canadian Journal of Ophthalmology. This was a 29-year-old woman from Edmonton who presented to the Royal Alexandra Hospital Eye Institute in Alberta with severe conjunctivitis and minimal respiratory symptoms. After admitting she was in Asia a few weeks earlier, she was tested for COVID-19. The result was positive.
After this situation, patients admitted to the local eye clinic with conjunctivitis or keratitis were considered as potential cases of COVID-19, and staff took additional precautions against them. Employees performing eye examinations are advised to wear personal protective equipment to minimize the risk of infection.

As Arcturus spreads more and more (so far it has been confirmed in 30 countries), experts note that this mutation affects the organ of vision more than before. This was confirmed in April of this year by Vipin Mohan Vashishtha, a pediatrician at the Mangla Hospital Research Center in India and former head of the Vaccination Committee of the Indian Academy of Pediatrics. After experimenting with young patients, the doctor indicated that conjunctivitis and itchy conjunctivitis are symptoms characteristic of COVID-19 in children. Provided that it is also accompanied by symptoms such as fever and cough.

What are the symptoms of conjunctivitis?

Conjunctivitis is a common eye disease that affects patients of all ages. Its main causes are viral infections of the respiratory tract. Bacterial or allergic conjunctivitis is also common, caused by contact with a specific allergen, mainly during flowering and pollination. Conjunctival irritation can also be caused by chemicals containing chlorine compounds (used in swimming pools or garden pools), aerosols (insect repellants, deodorants, hair sprays), and foreign bodies such as sand or sawdust.

Symptoms characteristic of conjunctivitis:

• redness or redness of the eyes,

• burning and itching in the eyes,

• tears,

• eye pain (may be stinging and sharp)

• the presence of an inflammatory secret, such as pus.

How to distinguish covid conjunctivitis from allergies?

Depending on the cause of conjunctivitis, the disease may vary slightly. With viral inflammation, the conjunctival discharge becomes viscous and thick, but rarely purulent. Unlike a bacterial infection, which is characterized by the presence of pus in the eye. In turn, allergic conjunctivitis is accompanied by sneezing, nasal discharge, and sometimes a sore throat. Allergy also differs from viral or bacterial inflammation in the absence of fever. This usually accompanies patients with COVID-19, as do coughs, muscle aches, headaches, general malaise and fatigue. The best way to rule out or confirm COVID-19 is to get tested. When in doubt, you should always consult a specialist, including an ophthalmologist.

How is red eye syndrome treated?

Treatment of viral conjunctivitis, including in patients with COVID-19, consists primarily of rinsing the eyes with tepid water or chamomile solution. Regardless of the treatment of the eye itself, the patient should follow the therapeutic recommendations of the doctors under whose supervision he remains. In the case of bacterial conjunctivitis, an eye drop should be given (in more severe cases with an antibiotic). Allergy sufferers usually use allergy medications or special eye drops. Experts warn against rubbing and touching the eyes and call for preventive eye hygiene care.