The COVID-19 Pandemic from an Ophthalmologist's Perspective

Daniela Bacherini; Ilaria Biagini; Chiara Lenzetti; Gianni Virgili; Stanislao Rizzo; Fabrizio Giansanti

doi:10.1016/j.molmed.2020.03.008

The COVID-19 Pandemic from an Ophthalmologist's Perspective

Trends Mol Med. 2020 Jun;26(6):529-531. doi: 10.1016/j.molmed.2020.03.008. Epub 2020 Apr 6.

Authors

Daniela Bacherini¹, Ilaria Biagini², Chiara Lenzetti², Gianni Virgili², Stanislao Rizzo³, Fabrizio Giansanti²

Affiliations

¹ Department of Neurosciences, Psychology, Drug Research, and Child Health, Eye Clinic, University of Florence, AOU Careggi, 50139 Florence, Italy. Electronic address: daniela.bacherini@gmail.com.
² Department of Neurosciences, Psychology, Drug Research, and Child Health, Eye Clinic, University of Florence, AOU Careggi, 50139 Florence, Italy.
³ UOC Oculistica, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Italy; Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy; Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Istituto di Neuroscienze, Pisa, Italy.

Abstract

The current coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is rapidly spreading around the world. The first doctor to report this new disease was an ophthalmologist: this exemplifies the role of ophthalmologists in an infectious disease pandemic. Here we review how severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) affects the eye and discuss implications for ophthalmologists.

Keywords: COVID-19; conjunctivitis; ophthalmologist.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Betacoronavirus / isolation & purification*
COVID-19
Conjunctiva / virology*
Conjunctivitis, Viral / epidemiology
Conjunctivitis, Viral / virology*
Coronavirus Infections / complications*
Coronavirus Infections / epidemiology
Coronavirus Infections / virology
Eye / virology
Humans
Ophthalmologists
Ophthalmology
Pandemics
Pneumonia, Viral / complications*
Pneumonia, Viral / epidemiology
Pneumonia, Viral / virology
SARS-CoV-2