[A special on epidemic prevention and control:screening for novel coronavirus related conjunctivitis among the patients with coronavirus disease 2019].

This article was published ahead of print on the official website of Chinese Journal of Ophthalmology on April 16,2020.

Objective

To screen for novel coronavirus related conjunctivitis among patients with coronavirus disease 2019.

Methods

Prospective series case study. Eighty-one patients diagnosed as coronavirus disease 2019 in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region People's Hospital were enrolled with ophthalmological consultation and screening for novel coronavirus related conjunctivitis, including the inquiring of eye symptoms and checking for conjunctivitis-related signs. Novel coronavirus nucleic acid testing of conjunctival swabs was performed on patients with clinical manifestations of conjunctivitis.

Results

Only 3 of the 81 patients (3.70%) complained of eye discomfort, which appeared on day 16.67±9.29 after the diagnosis of coronavirus disease 2019. The eye signs were not typical of viral conjunctivitis. Novel coronavirus nucleic acid tests of conjunctival swabs were negative in both eyes. There was no evidence to support the diagnosis of novel coronavirus related conjunctivitis. The remaining 78 patients showed no clinical symptoms or signs of conjunctivitis.

Conclusions

The occurrence of novel coronavirus related conjunctivitis may be low in patients with coronavirus disease 2019.(Chin J Ophthalmol, 2020, 56: 433-437).