Coronavirus can linger in your eyes long after your symptoms disappear, a new study has warned.
Researchers in Italy have detailed a case report about a coronavirus patient, who was found to have infectious viral particles in her eyes long after the infection cleared from her nose.
The 65-year-old woman, who is unnamed, flew from Wuhan to Italy in January, and started experiencing coronavirus symptoms five days later.
She was admitted to hospital a day later where she tested positive for the virus.
On her third day in hospital, doctors took swabs from her eyes, and discovered she had genetic material from the coronavirus in her eyes.
The doctors continued to take daily eye swabs, and found the virus lingered up to the 21st day.
While the virus was then undetectable in both the eyes and nose for a few days, it was detected in an eye swab again on the 27th day.
Worryingly, lab tests of these eye swabs revealed that the virus was still infectious.
In the case study, published in Annals of Internal Medicine, the researchers, led by Dr Francesca Colavita, wrote: “SARS-CoV-2 RNA was detected in ocular swabs days after it was undetectable in nasal swabs.
"We found that ocular fluids from SARS-CoV-2-infected patients may contain infectious virus, and hence may be a potential source of infection.
“These findings highlight the importance of control measures, such as avoiding touching the nose, mouth, and eyes and frequent hand washing."
The case study comes shortly after experts revealed that pink eye, or conjunctivitis, develops in about 1-3% of people with coronavirus.
The American Academy of Ophthalmology explained: “If you see someone with pink eye, don’t panic. It doesn’t mean that person is infected with coronavirus.
“But health officials believe viral pink eye, or conjunctivitis, develops in about 1% to 3% of people with coronavirus.
“The virus can spread by touching fluid from an infected person’s eyes, or from objects that carry the fluid.”
