COVID-19: Limiting the Risks for Eye Care Professionals

Soumen Sadhu; Rupesh Agrawal; Richa Pyare; Carlos Pavesio; Manfred Zierhut; Anadi Khatri; Justine R. Smith; Marc D. de Smet; Jyotirmay Biswas

doi:10.1080/09273948.2020.1755442

COVID-19: Limiting the Risks for Eye Care Professionals

Soumen Sadhu, Rupesh Agrawal, Richa Pyare, Carlos Pavesio, Manfred Zierhut, Anadi Khatri, Justine R. Smith, Marc D. de Smet, Jyotirmay Biswas

College of Medicine and Public Health

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

58 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

After the outbreak of the disease COVID-19, it has reached pandemic proportions within a very short time. It is mainly transmitted human-to-human through direct contact with secretions from an infected person or through inhalation of droplets containing SARS-CoV-2. It is controversial whether the virus may be transmitted via tears. Exposed ocular surface can serve as a gateway in transmission and acquiring respiratory diseases. Considering the reported cases on healthcare workers indicating nosocomial transmission and the anatomical and physiological aspects it is perceived that ophthalmic healthcare professionals are at higher risk of contracting the virus by virtue of their job. In this narrative review we discuss current evidence around detection of SARS-CoV-2 in human tears and forms of transmissions reported to date. We also provide a comprehensive approach that may be implemented in an ophthalmic care facility to protect healthcare personnel, as well as patients, from contracting the virus.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	714-720
Number of pages	7
Journal	Ocular Immunology and Inflammation
Volume	28
Issue number	5
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1080/09273948.2020.1755442
Publication status	Published - 3 Jul 2020

Keywords

Coronavirus disease 2019
COVID-19
infection control
SARS-CoV-2
severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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10.1080/09273948.2020.1755442Licence: In Copyright

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title = "COVID-19: Limiting the Risks for Eye Care Professionals",

abstract = "After the outbreak of the disease COVID-19, it has reached pandemic proportions within a very short time. It is mainly transmitted human-to-human through direct contact with secretions from an infected person or through inhalation of droplets containing SARS-CoV-2. It is controversial whether the virus may be transmitted via tears. Exposed ocular surface can serve as a gateway in transmission and acquiring respiratory diseases. Considering the reported cases on healthcare workers indicating nosocomial transmission and the anatomical and physiological aspects it is perceived that ophthalmic healthcare professionals are at higher risk of contracting the virus by virtue of their job. In this narrative review we discuss current evidence around detection of SARS-CoV-2 in human tears and forms of transmissions reported to date. We also provide a comprehensive approach that may be implemented in an ophthalmic care facility to protect healthcare personnel, as well as patients, from contracting the virus.",

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AU - Pyare, Richa

AU - Pavesio, Carlos

AU - Zierhut, Manfred

AU - Khatri, Anadi

AU - Smith, Justine R.

AU - de Smet, Marc D.

AU - Biswas, Jyotirmay

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COVID-19: Limiting the Risks for Eye Care Professionals

Abstract

Keywords

UN SDGs

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