COVID-19 and problems of ophthalmology
https://doi.org/10.21516/2072-0076-2020-13-4-99-104
Abstract
Coronaviruses (CoV) are a large group of RNA viruses that are pathogenic to animals and humans. Until the end of the 20th century, human CoV were known as pathogens of seasonal mild respiratory diseases. In the last 20 years new CoVs caused three outbreaks of severe acute respiratory diseases with a predominant lesion of the lower respiratory tract: SARS-CoV — the causative agent of the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in 2002–2003; MERS-CoV that induced Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) in 2012 and SARS-CoV-2 the causative agent of the coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19), a pandemic of which began in China in late 2019 and is ongoing. The review presents current data on SARS-CoV-2, ways of contagion, transmission routes, detection time in the body, the role of asymptomatic virus carriers in the epidemic process. Advantages and disadvantages of the main laboratory methods of COVID-19 diagnosis are described: polymerase chain reaction (detection of viral RNA) and serological tests (detecting IgG-and IgM-specific antibodies). The data on conjunctivitis, the main currently known ocular symptom of COVID-19, are summarized. The role of the tear and eye discharge as a possible source of infection is discussed, as well as the role of the eye as the entrance gate of the virus with the subsequent development of respiratory infection. The high professional risk of ophthalmologists being infected through close contact with the patient during the examination is outlined. A system of complex protection of ophthalmologists against contagion during examination of patients, proposed in some countries, is presented.
About the Authors
V. V. Neroev
Helmholtz National Medical Research Center of Eye Diseases
Russian Federation
Russian Federation
Vladimir V. Neroev — Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Dr. of Med. Sci., professor, director
14/19, Sadovaya-Chernogryazskaya St., Moscow, 105062
G. I. Krichevskaya
Helmholtz National Medical Research Center of Eye Diseases
Russian Federation
Russian Federation
Galina I. Krichevskaya — Cand. of Med. Sci., leading researcher, department of immunology and virology
14/19, Sadovaya-Chernogryazskaya St., Moscow, 105062
N. V. Balatskaya
Helmholtz National Medical Research Center of Eye Diseases
Russian Federation
Russian Federation
Natalia V. Balatskaya — Cand. of Biol. Sci., head of the department of immunology and virology
14/19, Sadovaya-Chernogryazskaya St., Moscow, 105062
References
1. Shchelkanov M.Yu., Popova A.Yu., Dedkov V.G., Akimkin V.G., Maleev V.V. History of investigation and current classification of coronaviruses (Nidovirales: Coronaviridae). Russian journal of infection and immunity. 2020; 10 (2): 221–46 (in Russian). https://doi.org/10.15789/2220-7619-HOI-1412
2. Guo Y.R., Cao Q.D., Hong Z.S., et al. The origin, transmission and clinical therapies on coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak — an update on the status. Mil. Med. Res. 2020; 7 (1): 1. doi:10.1186/s40779-020-00240-0
3. Ge X.Y., Li J.L., Yang X.L., et al. Isolation and characterization of a Bat SARSlike Coronavirus that uses the ACE2 receptor. Version 2. Naturе. 2013 Nov 28; 503 (7477): 535–8. doi: 10.1038/nature12711
4. Lee P.I., Hsueh P.R. Emerging threats from zoonotic coronaviruses-from SARS and MERS to 2019-nCoV. J. Microbiol. Immunol. Infect. 2020; 53 (3): 365–7. doi:10.1016/j.jmii.2020.02.001
5. Prevention, diagnosis and treatment of new coronavirus infection (COVID-19). The provisional guidelines. Version 7; 03.06.2020 (In Russian).
6. Tu H., Tu S., Gao S., Shao A., Sheng J. Current epidemiological and clinical features of COVID-19; a global perspective from China. J. Infect. 2020; 81 (1): 1–9. doi: 10.1016/j.jinf.2020.04.011
7. Rothe C., Schunk M., Sothmann P., et al. Transmission of 2019-nCoV infection from an asymptomatic contact in Germany. N. Engl. J. Med. 2020; 382 (10): 970–1. doi: 10.1056/NEJMc2001468.30
8. Zou L., Ruan F., Huang M., et al. SARS-Cov 2 Viral load in upper respiratory specimens of infected patients. N. Engl. J. Med. 2020: 382 (12): 1177–9. doi: 10.1056/NEJMc2001737
9. Wölfel R., Corman V.M., Guggemos W., et al. Virological assessment of hospitalized patients with COVID-2019. Nature. 2020; 581 (7809): 465–9. doi:10.1038/s41586-020-2196-x
10. Smirnov V.S., Totolian Areg A. Innate immunity in coronavirus infection. Russian journal of infection and immunity; 2020; 10 (2): 259–68 (in Russian). http://dx.doi.org/10.15789/22207619-III-1440
11. Zhao S., Lin Q., Ran J., et al. Preliminary estimation of the basic reproduction number of novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) in China from 2019 to 2020: A datadriven analysis in the early phase of the outbreak. Int. J. Infect. Dis. 2020; 92: 214–7. doi:10.1016/j.ijid.2020.01.050
12. Siordia J.A. Jr. Epidemiology and clinical features of COVID-19: A review of current literature. J. Clin. Virol. 2020; 127: 104357. doi:10.1016/j.jcv.2020.104357
13. Tan J., Liu S., Zhuang L., et al. Transmission and clinical characteristics of asymptomatic patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection. Future Virol. 2020. doi:10.2217/fvl-2020-0087
14. Beljakov N.A., Rassohin V.V., Jastrebova E.B. Lecture: СOVID-19 Coronavirus infection. Part I. Nature of the virus, pathogenesis, clinical manifestations. https://www1spbgmu.ru/images/home/covid19/training%20of%20doctors (in Russian).
15. Pashenkov M.V., Khaitov R.M. Immune response against epidemic coronaviruses. Immunologiya. 2020; 41 (1): 5–18 (in Russian). doi: 10.33029/0206-4952-2020-41-1-5-18
16. Ai T., Yang Z., Hou H., et al. Correlation of Chest CT and RT-PCR Testing in Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) in China: A Report of 1014 Cases [published online ahead of print, 2020 Feb 26]. Radiology. 2020; 200642. doi:10.1148/radiol.2020200642
17. Fang Y., Zhang H., Xie J., et al. Sensitivity of Chest CT for COVID-19: Comparison to RT-PCR [published online ahead of print]. Radiology. 2020; 200432. doi:10.1148/radiol.2020200432
18. Wu J., Liu J., Li S., et al. Detection and analysis of nucleic acid in various biological samples of COVID-19 patients [published online ahead of print]. Travel. Med. Infect. Dis. 2020; 101673. doi:10.1016/j.tmaid.2020.101673
19. Long Q.X., Liu B.Z., Deng H.J., et al. Antibody responses to SARS-CoV-2 in patients with COVID-19. Nat. Med. 2020; 26 (6): 845–8. doi:10.1038/s41591020-0897-1
20. Jin Y., Wang M., Zuo Z., et al. Diagnostic value and dynamic variance of serum antibody in coronavirus disease 2019. Int. J. Infect. Dis. 2020; 94: 49–52. doi: 10.1016/j.ijid.2020.03.065
21. Seah I., Agrawal R. Can the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) affect the eyes? A review of coronaviruses and ocular implications in humans and animals. Ocul. Immunol. Inflamm. 2020; 28 (3): 391–5. doi:10.1080/09273948.2020.1738501
22. Belser J.A., Rota P.A., Tumpey T.M. Ocular tropism of respiratory viruses. Microbiol. Mol. Biol. Rev. 2013; 77 (1): 144–56. doi: 10.1128/MMBR.00058-12
23. Coroneo M.T. The eye as the discrete but defensible portal of coronavirus infection [published online ahead of print]. Ocul. Surf. 2020; S15420124(20)30089-6. doi:10.1016/j.jtos.2020.05.011
24. Zhou L., Xu Z., Castiglione G.M., et al. ACE2 and TMPRSS2 are expressed on the human ocular surface, suggesting susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 infection. Ocul. Surf. 2020; 18 (4): 537–44. doi:10.1016/j.jtos.2020.06.007
25. Loon S.C., Teoh S.C., Oon L.L., et al. The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus in tears. Br. J. Ophthalmol. 2004; 88 (7): 861–3. doi:10.1136/bjo.2003.035931
26. Hu K., Patel J., Patel B.C. Ophthalmic manifestations of Coronavirus (COVID-19). In: StatPearls. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2020.
27. Li J.O., Lam D.S.C., Chen Y., Ting D.S.W. Novel Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19): the importance of recognizing possible early ocular manifestation and using protective eyewear. Br. J. Ophthalmol. 2020; 104 (3): 297–8. doi:10.1136/bjophthalmol-2020-315994
28. Sun C.B., Wang Y.Y., Liu G.H., Liu Z. Role of the eye in transmitting human coronavirus: what we know and what we do not know. Front. Public Health. 2020; 8: 155. Published 2020 Apr 24. doi:10.3389/fpubh.2020.00155
29. Xie H.T., Jiang S.Y., Xu K.K., et al. SARS-CoV-2 in the ocular surface of COVID-19 patients. Eye Vis. (Lond). 2020; 7: 23. Published 2020 Apr 26. doi:10.1186/s40662-020-00189-0
30. Wu P., Duan F., Luo C., et al. Characteristics of ocular findings of patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Hubei Province, China. JAMA Ophthalmol. 2020; 138 (5): 575–8. doi:10.1001/jamaophthalmol.2020.1291
31. Xia J., Tong J., Liu M., Shen Y., Guo D. Evaluation of coronavirus in tears and conjunctival secretions of patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection. J. Med. Virol. 2020; 92 (6): 589–94. doi:10.1002/jmv.25725
32. Cheema M., Aghazadeh H., Nazarali S., et al. Keratoconjunctivitis as the initial medical presentation of the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Can. J. Ophthalmol. 2020; S0008-4182(20)30305-7. doi:10.1016/j.jcjo.2020.03.003
33. Zhou Y., Duan C., Zeng Y., et al. Ocular findings and proportion with conjunctival SARS-CoV-2 in COVID-19 patients. Ophthalmology. 2020; 127 (7): 982–3. doi:10.1016/j.ophtha.2020.04.028
34. Guan W.J., Ni Z.Y., Hu Y., et al. Clinical characteristics of coronavirus disease 2019 in China. N. Engl. J. Med. 2020; 382 (18): 1708–20. doi:10.1056/NEJMoa2002032
35. Liang L., Wu P. There may be virus in conjunctival secretion of patients with COVID-19. Acta Ophthalmol. 2020; 98 (3): 223. doi:10.1111/aos.14413
36. Aiello F., Gallo Afflitto G., Mancino R. et al. Coronavirus disease 2019 (SARSCoV-2) and colonization of ocular tissues and secretions: a systematic review. Eye (Lond). 2020; 34 (7): 1206–11. doi:10.1038/s41433-020-0926-9
37. Deng W., Bao L., Gao H., et al. Ocular conjunctival inoculation of SARS-CoV-2 can cause mild COVID-19 in Rhesus macaques. Nature communications. 2020; 11: 4400 https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-020-18149-6
38. Dockery D.M., Rowe S.G., Murphy M.A., Krzystolik M.G. The ocular manifestations and transmission of COVID-19: recommendations for prevention. J. Emerg. Med. 2020; S0736-4679(20)30398-X. doi:10.1016/j.jemermed.2020.04.06
Review
For citations:
Neroev V.V., Krichevskaya G.I., Balatskaya N.V. COVID-19 and problems of ophthalmology. Russian Ophthalmological Journal. 2020;13(4):99-104. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.21516/2072-0076-2020-13-4-99-104
Views:
1667
Email this article 