Investigation of SARS-CoV-2 in tear and conjunctival secretions of hospitalized patients with clinically-confirmed COVID-19 pneumonia

• Published in: BMC infectious diseases Vol. 21; no. 1; pp. 1 - 918
• Main Authors: Karabela, Yunus, Karabela, Semsi Nur, Ozbas, Mehmet, Kasikci, Havva, Kart Yasar, Kadriye
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London BioMed Central Ltd 06.09.2021; BioMed Central; BMC
• Subjects: Bacterial pneumonia; Conjunctival swab; Coronaviruses; COVID-19; Diagnosis; Direct reduction; Disease transmission; Epidemics; Hospitalization; Infectious diseases; Laboratories; Nasopharyngeal swab; Patients; Personal protective equipment; Pneumonia; Polymerase chain reaction; Risk factors; SARS-CoV-2; Secretions; Severe acute respiratory syndrome; Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2; Statistical analysis; Viruses; China; Germany; Turkey
• ISSN: 1471-2334; 1471-2334
• DOI: 10.1186/s12879-021-06630-6

The aim of this study was to demonstrate the presence of the virus in tear and conjunctival secretions of clinically-confirmed COVID-19 pneumonia patients. This prospective study was conducted at Bakirkoy Dr. Sadi Konuk Training and Research Hospital (2020/190). Nasopharyngeal and ocular samples were obtained by swab technique and investigated by RT-PCR. A total of 83 patients were included. The mean age was 61.88 [+ or -] 16.04 years. 28.92% of the patients had mild, 65.06% moderate and 6.02% severe pneumonia radiologically. RT-PCR was positive in 31 (37.35%) patients in the first nasopharyngeal swabs and in 19 (22.89%) in the second swabs. 17 of 19 patients had positive both first and second nasopharyngeal swabs; only the second swabs of two patients were positive. The first conjunctival swabs RT-PCR were positive in 5 out of 83 clinically-confirmed patients or 33 laboratory-confirmed patients (rates: 6.02% and 15.15%). There were no positives detected in the second conjunctival swabs. SARS-CoV-2 can be detected in the conjunctival swabs of patients with COVID-19 pneumonia.