As you may well be aware by now, the World has encountered another medical epidemic that has forced governments across the globe to rethink medical strategies.

The Coronavirus (COVID-19) has dominated headlines and news channels for what seems like an eternity. But only recently have we understood how eyes can be affected by the virus.

It is now understood that our eyes could play a vital role in the containment of the virus threatening China and a growing number of other countries.

In the past few weeks, the global population has been warned about contracting the virus through coughing and sneezing outbreaks, but a respiratory specialist at Peking University in China claims he has caught the virus through his eyes.

Wang Guangfa believes he contracted coronavirus when he came into contact with patients at several health clinics located throughout the country. Wang reported that his left eye became inflamed after attending to his patients, followed by a fever and a build-up of mucus in his nose and throat.

Wang now insists that the virus was able to affect his left eye because he wasn’t wearing protective eyewear.

This is a scenario that has been confirmed to be possible by Dr. Jan Evans Patterson, a professor of medicine and pathology in the Long School of Medicine’s infectious diseases division at UT Health San Antonio.

Dr Patterson stated that respiratory droplets might have reached his eyes from patients he was treating.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has urged people to follow certain hygiene precautions to halt the spread of coronavirus, which includes the avoidance of touching your eyes with unwashed hands. Or if you are in close encounter with someone suffering from the virus, then you should wear suitable eyewear, capable of protecting your eyes.

Sources:

1. All About Vision.
2. icrcat.com.
3. aao.org.
4. NHS.
5. Who.int.