It's not an allergy! Many people have been infected after "testing positive", doctors remind -

"My right eye was red for 3 days after I tested positive, and my tearing increased significantly", "My left eye was obviously afraid of light after I recovered from the fever", "I saw things a little blurry 2 days after I tested positive for antigen"...

Recently, many people have experienced eye discomfort after being infected with the new coronavirus. Doctors remind: If you have eye symptoms after being infected with the new coronavirus, you should be alert to conjunctivitis caused by the virus infection and go to an ophthalmologist as soon as possible.

01

8-year-old boy with red and swollen eyes

Is it a drug allergy?

8-year-old Xiaoyu was infected with the new coronavirus a few days ago. He had a high fever on the first day, but it subsided on the second day. Just when Ms. Zhang was feeling lucky that her child had the "lucky strain" and didn't suffer much, she found that after four or five days of subsiding the fever, red spots appeared around the eyes and the eyes were a little red and swollen.

Copyright image, no permission to reprint

"Mom, I can't see clearly. " Xiaoyu's words made Ms. Zhang nervous. She was worried that her child was allergic to the medicine, so she took him to the dermatology department of Ningbo Beilun Second Hospital for examination early in the morning on January 1. After understanding the condition, the doctor suggested that they refer him to the ophthalmology department.

Hu Jingwei, deputy director of the ophthalmology department, found that Xiaoyu's eye membranes were infiltrated with irregular white spots. Combined with the child's symptoms such as occasional tears, inability to open his eyes, and blurred vision, Hu Jingwei concluded that Xiaoyu was not allergic to the drug, but had viral keratoconjunctivitis.

02

30-year-old man has a high fever

Does crying mean you have a "crying syndrome"?

Coincidentally, on the afternoon of January 1, 30-year-old Mr. Hu also came to the hospital for treatment due to excessive eye secretions. Mr. Hu said that he was a workaholic. Because the year was coming to an end and there were a lot of things to do in the company, he thought that he could handle it since he was young. On the first day after being infected with the new coronavirus, he went to work in the company with a high fever of 39.5 degrees. Unexpectedly, when he woke up the next morning, he found that his eyes had become swollen and red, the secretions in his eyes had increased, and he was crying non-stop.

Copyright image, no permission to reprint

Could this be the so-called "crying virus"? During the lunch break, he rushed to the hospital for a checkup and was eventually diagnosed with viral keratoconjunctivitis.

03

Young girl with fever

Red eyes, photophobia, tears

"I developed obvious eye discomfort three days after I had a fever. It has lasted for several days. What should I do?" Recently, Xiao Zou (pseudonym) rushed to the Ophthalmology Department of Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital for treatment.

Xiao Zou, who is in her early 20s, said that on the third day after she had a fever, she felt obvious discomfort in her eyes, including redness, discomfort when looking at things, fear of light, tears, and increased secretions. She checked online and thought it was a bit like a virus causing keratitis, so she rushed to the hospital.

Copyright image, no permission to reprint

"The examination found that the changes were secondary to bacterial conjunctivitis caused by the virus, which is not a big problem." Liu Hui, the deputy chief physician who received the patient, said that the eye examination showed that everything was fine, so he gave the patient corresponding antibacterial and anti-inflammatory treatment, which only required eye drops. In addition to Xiao Zou, Liu Hui also received a patient who had obvious eye discomfort after the test.

04

COVID-19 can cause eye disease

The "Chinese Expert Consensus on Prevention and Control of New Coronavirus Eye Diseases (2022)" released by the Public Health Ophthalmology Branch of the Chinese Preventive Medicine Association pointed out that the new coronavirus can cause eye diseases, with a proportion of 0-35.71%. Its clinical manifestations are diverse, and the ocular surface is a potential route of viral infection.

Copyright image, no permission to reprint

On January 4, Dr. Zhu Xiaofeng from the Optometry Center of Shanghai Eye Disease Prevention and Treatment Center (Shanghai Eye Hospital) told reporters that in recent clinical diagnosis and treatment, patients' specific symptoms include swelling and discomfort around the eyes or eye sockets, red and swollen eyes, photophobia, and constant tearing. In more serious cases, there was even blurred vision and discoloration, which was very uncomfortable.

Zhu Xiaofeng said that conjunctivitis is the most common eye disease caused by the new coronavirus, which may be related to the direct invasion of conjunctival tissue by the new coronavirus or the immune system attacking the conjunctival tissue after the new coronavirus infects the body.

According to reports, some case studies show that patients mainly experience red, swollen, painful, itchy eyes, photophobia, foreign body sensation, tearing and other discomforts, with watery or mucous secretions, generally without obvious vision loss. Patients may develop the disease in one or both eyes, and it can occur at all stages of novel coronavirus infection, including the incubation period.

Copyright image, no permission to reprint

In addition, infection with the new coronavirus can also affect the cornea and cause inflammation; on the other hand, the body's immunity decreases after infection with the new coronavirus, which may also induce the activation of viruses hidden in the cornea.

Zhu Xiaofeng emphasized that during this special period, everyone should try not to rub their eyes with their hands, avoid using their eyes for long periods of time, and try not to wear any type of contact lenses.

Hu Jingwei, deputy director of the ophthalmology department of Ningbo Beilun Second Hospital, reminds that if you experience photophobia, tearing, eye pain, red eyes or even blurred vision, please go to the ophthalmology clinic in time for symptomatic treatment.

Source: China News Network, Qianjiang Evening News

The cover image and the images in this article are from the copyright library

Reproduction of image content is not authorized