In March 2020, Wu and colleagues published in JAMA the first report on the presence of ocular symptoms in patients with COVID-19.
Signs of conjunctivitis were seen in about 32% of a group of 38 hospitalized patients, the severity of which was directly correlated with the severity of the COVID-19 infection. The most common symptoms included hyperemia, tearing, chemosis and mucous discharge. Conjunctival samples of 11 patients were tested, and two were found positive for histological signs of the viral infection.
This study was a first warning of the potential risk for infection through tears and