Eye and SARS-CoV-2 in 2022

Abstract

The ocular symptoms of COVID-19 are rare, however, the most common is conjunctivitis. Retinal changes, including dilated veins, tortuous blood vessels, intraretinal hemorrhages, and cotton balls are much less common. In addition, there may be swelling of the eyelids, their irritation, most often in combination with conjunctival hyperemia. Moreover, COVID-19 infection may be accompanied by different neuro-ophthalmic disorders and, in rare cases, by mucormycosis. Various ocular complications have been reported following vaccination against COVID-19, including facial nerve palsy, abduction nerve palsy, acute macular neuro-retinopathy, superior ocular vein thrombosis, corneal transplant rejection, membrane inflammation vascular eye disease, central serous chorioretinopathy, reactivation of Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada disease and onset of Graves’ disease. Chemical eye injuries in children caused by hand sanitizers have also been reported. Although numerous studies have confirmed the antiviral activity of benzalkonium chloride, its role in this regard requires further research.