Ocular involvment of coronavirus disease (COVID-19): A systematic review of conjunctival swab results

https://doi.org/10.22146/jcoemph.55543

Indra Tri Mahayana(1*), Natalia Christina Angsana(2), Muhammad Zhafran Ayyasy(3), Anastasya Sondang Hutajulu(4), Suhardjo Suhardjo(5)

(1) Department of Ophthalmology, Faculty of Medicine, Public Health and Nursing, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Yogyakarta, Indonesia
(2) Ophthalmology Research Unit, Faculty of Medicine, Public Health and Nursing, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Yogyakarta, Indonesia
(3) Ophthalmology Research Unit, Faculty of Medicine, Public Health and Nursing, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Yogyakarta, Indonesia
(4) Ophthalmology Research Unit, Faculty of Medicine, Public Health and Nursing, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Yogyakarta, Indonesia
(5) Department of Ophthalmology, Faculty of Medicine, Public Health and Nursing, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Yogyakarta, Indonesia
(*) Corresponding Author

Abstract


Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is a pandemic disease which is caused by the latest discovered coronavirus. Conjunctivitis is allegedly the first presentation of COVID-19 since it can spread by aerosol contact with the conjunctiva. The present study aimed to systematically review the employment of conjunctival swab with Real-time Polymerase Chain Reaction in detecting SARS-Cov-2. The research is a systematic review of the published scientific literature on findings of conjunctival swab of COVID-19 from PUBMED database and other additional sources (i.e: Google Scholar). The search method was done using “COVID-19 OR coronavirus OR SARS-COV2, AND conjunctivitis, AND ocular manifestations, AND conjunctival swab” as keywords. Inclusion criteria were any papers that related to the entered keywords and have conjunctival swab as a reported outcome. Letters, reviews, and editorials describing other studies reporting COVID-19 and conjunctival swab were excluded. Only four research papers were found and included in the literature review. From the four current research papers, positive SARS-CoV-2 results were yielded from 0-5.26% of conjunctival swab specimens. In conclusion, although the presence of the SARS-CoV-2 virus on the ocular surface remains unclear, the prevention of infection transmission through an ocular surface is mandatory by wearing goggles (or shield), mask (N-95 recommended) and gown.

Keywords


COVID-19, coronavirus, conjunctivitis, ocular manifestation

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.22146/jcoemph.55543

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