COVID-19: An Ophthalmologist’s Perspective

Abstract In just one hundred years, the world has been through five pandemics. Lessons of the past have not prevented a new virus from being responsible for a fifth wave of deaths worldwide, even with scientific advances and the rapid response of societies that, for the most part, anticipated the po...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Cunha,João Paulo (author)
Other Authors: Moura-Coelho,Nuno (author), Proença,Rita Pinto (author), Santos,Arnaldo Dias (author), Ferreira,Joana Tavares (author)
Format: article
Language:eng
Published: 2020
Subjects:
Online Access:http://scielo.pt/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S2184-06282020000200184
Country:Portugal
Oai:oai:scielo:S2184-06282020000200184
Description
Summary:Abstract In just one hundred years, the world has been through five pandemics. Lessons of the past have not prevented a new virus from being responsible for a fifth wave of deaths worldwide, even with scientific advances and the rapid response of societies that, for the most part, anticipated the political and economic response. A century after the end of the Spanish Flu (1918/19), in December 2019, the world has watched the beginning of the second pandemic of the 21st century, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by a new severe acute respiratory coronavirus syndrome-2 (SARS-CoV-2). The eye can not only be the entry point for coronaviruses, but also a target organ. Conjunctivitis, uveitis, vasculitis, retinitis and optic neuritis have all been documented in animal models studies. In this article, we review the possible roles of the visual system/ocular tissues as an entryway, and the potential ophthalmic manifestations of human SARS-CoV-2 infections. This review article will also highlight the most effective ways for protecting and preventing the spread of the virus.