학술논문

Detection of SARS-CoV-2 virus on the ocular surface of an asymptomatic health-care professional
Document Type
other
Source
Arquivos Brasileiros de Oftalmologia. January 2022
Subject
Coronavirus infection
COVID-19
Eye Infection
viral
SARS-CoV-2
Health professional
Language
English
ISSN
0004-2749
Abstract
Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is an infectious disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Its main form of transmission is through respiratory droplets. Case reports have described the presence of this virus in biological materials such as blood, feces, urine, and tears, which generate hypotheses about other means thereby the disease is transmitted. In this report, we describe a case of SARS-CoV-2 identified on the eye surface of an asymptomatic health-care professional. The nasopharyngeal reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction test, using a sample collected on the same day, and the serological test, performed 3 months later, did not reveal any evidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection. These results alert on the possibility of a false-positive reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction result for the ocular surface or the presence of the virus in the conjunctival mucosa in individuals without infection.