Coronavirus Lingers in Eyes for Over 20 Days, Can Be Viable Route of Transmission

Coronavirus has forced the world to go on a complete halt. It has left health experts and governments around the world on the edge since the virus is highly contagious and can be asymptomatic. This makes the virus difficult to contain. But the pathogen can produce some symptoms that are distinct.

Warning signs of the coronavirus

According to the CDC, the main warning signs of the coronavirus are the following:

A high temperature - this means that you feel hot to touch on your back or your chest.

A continuous cough - this means that you are coughing a lot for more than an hour, or three or more coughing episodes in 24 hours.

The virus can show up in parts of the body that you may not associate with respiratory infections, such as the eyes. According to a report published in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine, the first confirmed COVID-19 patient in Italy showed signs of the virus in her eyes, and it persisted there long after the virus has left the nose.

On January 23, a 65-year-old woman flew from Wuhan, China to Italy, according to the report. Five days later, she began experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 and she was admitted to the hospital the following day. The initial symptoms that were seen from here were dry cough, coryza, sore throat, and pink eye.

Also Read: Skin of Two Chinese Doctors Turned Dark After Being Critically Ill With COVID-19

The woman tested positive for the coronavirus a few days later and she also developed nausea, fever, and vomiting. On the third day since her admission at the hospital, healthcare professionals took an eye swab and discovered that she had RNA or genetic material, from the coronavirus in her eyes.

The healthcare workers monitored the unusual development by taking eye swabs every day. Though the pink eye of the woman cleared on the 20th day that she was at the hospital, they found the virus lingered up to the 21st day. For the next few days, the virus was undetectable in both the eyes and the nose.

On the 27th day, the viral particles were detected again in her eyes. The study authors stated that the coronavirus was detected in ocular swabs days after it was undetectable in nasal swabs. The findings of the study authors also suggest that the virus could first develop in the eyes and it could become a viable route of transmission.

The authors stated that they found that ocular fluids from coronavirus-infected patients may contain infectious virus, and it may be a potential source of infection. The findings highlight the importance of control measures such as avoiding touching the mouth, nose, and eyes, and frequent hand washing.

The research suggests after the findings that the measures to prevent transmission through this route must be implemented worldwide as early as possible.

What to do if mild symptoms are spotted

According to the CDC, you must self-isolate for seven days up to fourteen days if mild symptoms are spotted. If someone in your house shows mild symptoms, you must self-isolate for fourteen days from the moment that the symptoms appear.