Researchers see risk of virus transmission through eyes
Chinese researchers have recently found the Sars-CoV-2 virus in tears and conjunctival secretions from one patient infected with the virus.
A research team from the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine collected samples from 30 patients who were confirmed to be infected from January 26 to February 9 at the hospital.
Among them, two samples of tear and conjunctival secretions obtained from one patient with conjunctivitis tested positive, while 58 samples from other patients showed negative results.
The study suggests that there is a risk of coronavirus transmission via the eyes, and the respiratory tract may not be the only way to spread the virus, Shen Ye, deputy head of the hospital, said. The hospital reminded medical staff to wear goggles, besides masks, when examining suspected cases.
RELATED