COVID-19 eye infection: recommendations for ophthalmologist and patients

Datu Respatika (Department of Ophthalmology, Faculty of Medicine, Public Health, and Nursing, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Yogyakarta, Indonesia Sardjito General Hospital, Yogyakarta, Indonesia)
Indra Tri Mahayana (Department of Ophthalmology, Faculty of Medicine, Public Health, and Nursing, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Yogyakarta, Indonesia Sardjito General Hospital, Yogyakarta, Indonesia)
Dwi Puspita (Ophtalmology Research Unit, Faculty of Medicine, Public Health, and Nursing, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Yogyakarta, Indonesia)
Guiddo Ilyasa (Ophthalmology Research Unit, Faculty of Medicine, Public Health, and Nursing, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Yogyakarta, Indonesia)
Agus Supartoto (Department of Ophthalmology, Faculty of Medicine, Public Health, and Nursing, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Yogyakarta, Indonesia)

Journal of Community Empowerment for Health
Vol 3, No 2 (2020): Special Issue of COVID-19

Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is a public health emergency of international concern as declared by the World Health Organization on 30 January 2020. Currently, COVID-19 is spreading rapidly worldwide, with no proven treatment nor vaccination, thus infection control measures are paramount. The severity of the majority of COVID-19 cases is mild to moderate, with fever as its most common symptoms, followed by dry cough and fatigue. COVID-19 initially reported to be transmitted from bats but then evolved into human-to-human via droplets. Coronavirus has been detected in tears and conjunctival secretions, but there is still a controversy about whether the virus can be transmitted through tears. However, the ocular transmission might be transported through a lacrimal duct to nasopharyngeal mucosa and then cause an infection. Because the nature of close contact in doctor-patient interaction during ophthalmologic practice, strict measures must be taken to minimize the impact both on the patients and health care workers.