Open AccessIdentification of SARS-CoV-2 on the ocular surface in a cohort of COVID-19 patients from Brazil
Author(s) -
Matheus Schwengber Gasparini,
Leandro Mechi Dos Santos,
Ahmad Ma Hamade,
Luísa Grave Gross,
Arthur Pinheiro Favarato,
José Pc de Vasconcellos,
Mônica Barbosa de Melo,
Pierina Lorencini Parise,
Camila L. Simeoni,
Natália B Silva,
Marcelo A. Mori,
André Schwambach Vieira,
Alessandro S. Farias,
Fabiana Granja,
Angélica Zaninelli Schreiber,
Maria Luíza Moretti,
José Luiz Proença-Módena,
Marcelo Corrêa Alves
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
experimental biology and medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.012
H-Index - 146
eISSN - 1535-3702
pISSN - 1535-3699
DOI - 10.1177/15353702211024651
Subject(s) - chemosis , medicine , tears , viral load , covid-19 , respiratory system , coronavirus , conjunctiva , gastroenterology , virus , virology , ophthalmology , immunology , disease , infectious disease (medical specialty)
In this cross-sectional study, we investigate the presence of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 Ribonucleic Acid (SARS-CoV-2 RNA) in the tears of hospitalized COVID-19 patients. After laboratory confirmation of SARS-CoV-2 infection by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) analysis, tear samples from both eyes of each patient were collected using conjunctival swab for RT-PCR. Detailed demographic profile, systemic and ocular symptoms, comorbidities, clinical, ancillary, and ocular manifestations were evaluated. Of the 83 patients enrolled in the study, 7 (8.43%) had SARS-CoV-2 RNA detected in the tear samples. Neutrophils' count, C-reactive protein, and D-dimer were higher in patients with SARS-CoV-2 detected in tears than in patients without virus in ocular surface samples. One patient with SARS-CoV-2 in tears showed mild ocular eyelid edema, hyperemia, and chemosis. No relevant ocular manifestations were detected in the other patients. Although the levels of viral RNA on ocular surface samples were low for most patients (5/7), with positivity only for gene N and CT higher than 30, two patients were positive for all viral targets tested ( N , E , and RpRd ), with viral load near 1 × 10 5 ePFU/mL, indicating that the ocular transmission of SARS-CoV-2 is a possibility that needs to be considered, especially in the hospital environment. Further studies need to be conducted to demonstrate whether infective viral particles could be isolated from tears.