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The eyes have it: conjunctivitis could be an overlooked Covid-19 symptom

  • Eyes can be an entry point for the coronavirus to infect a person, as well as the nose and mouth
  • Cough, fever and shortness of breath are common symptoms

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A Spanish member of parliament touches his eye with his wrist. Photo: EPA

Eye doctors are warning that conjunctivitis, or pink eye, could be a symptom of Covid-19, the disease the coronavirus causes.

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On March 31, the American Academy of Ophthalmology shared a notice that a mild case of pink eye could signal a person has Covid-19, after two recent studies and an anecdotal report suggested the condition was a symptom.

One study, published in the Journal of Virology, looked at 30 Covid-19 patients in China and found one patient had pink eye, while the other 29 had the coronavirus present in their eye secretions.

The other study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, found that 9 out of 1,099 patients who tested positive for Covid-19 in a lab had pink eye.

Eyes can be an entry point for the coronavirus to infect a person, as well as the nose and mouth, which is why the CDC has warned people against touching these areas without first washing their hands properly.

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