Department of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan.
Infect Disord Drug Targets. 2021;21(4):480-483. doi: 10.2174/1871526520999200729182242.
Ocular tissues can serve as a reservoir for the SARS-CoV-2 virus which can not only cause conjunctivitis but also serve as a source of infection transmission to others. Additionally, the eye and its tear drainage apparatus can track the SARS-CoV-2 from the eye into the respiratory tract of the patient. The potential ocular presence of the SARS-CoV-2 in the eye of a patient can target ACE2 receptors in the endothelium of the conjunctival vessels and use the lacrimal sac a potential space to evade immune detection and clinical isolation. The recently reported case of COVID-19 after the acquisition of SARS-CoV-2 from a COVID-19 patient should alert the healthcare professionals dealing with COVID-19 patients that wearing masks alone cannot guarantee protection against infection transmission. Further studies, like isolation of SARS-CoV-2 from the eyes of patients with COVID-19, are needed to identify the eyes as a potential source of SARS-CoV-2 infection transmission.
眼组织可以作为 SARS-CoV-2 病毒的储库，不仅会引起结膜炎，还会成为感染他人的传染源。此外，眼睛及其泪液引流装置可以追踪 SARS-CoV-2 从眼睛进入患者的呼吸道。患者眼部可能存在 SARS-CoV-2，它可以靶向结膜血管内皮细胞中的 ACE2 受体，并利用泪囊这一潜在空间来逃避免疫检测和临床隔离。最近有报道称，一名 COVID-19 患者从另一名 COVID-19 患者身上感染 SARS-CoV-2 后出现 COVID-19，这应该提醒处理 COVID-19 患者的医护人员注意，仅戴口罩不能保证防止感染传播。需要进一步研究，如从 COVID-19 患者的眼睛中分离 SARS-CoV-2，以确定眼睛是否为 SARS-CoV-2 感染传播的潜在来源。
