Graefe's archive for clinical and experimental ophthalmology = Albrecht von Graefes Archiv für klinische und experimentelle Ophthalmologie
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Graefes Arch. Clin. Exp. Ophthalmol. · Jun 2021
No secret hiding place? Absence of SARS-CoV-2 on the ocular surface of 1145 hospitalized patients in a pandemic area.
The aims of this study were to evaluate the isolated prevalence of real-time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR)-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 on the ocular surface without systemic infection in hospitalized asymptomatic patients and to determine the risk for ophthalmologists and medical staff to be infected by prescreened asymptomatic patients in a tertiary eye care center. ⋯ The risk for an isolated conjunctival viral activity in patients with a negative nasopharyngeal swab-based RT-PCR seems to be absent or extremely low, suggesting no need to perform additional conjunctival swabs in patients with negative nasopharyngeal swabs. Furthermore, the risk of a work-related SARS-CoV-2 infection due to direct contact with preselected asymptomatic patients in an eye care center is very low, especially when additional hygiene standards and safe distances are respected carefully. This might reassure medical staff and reduce the fear of SARS-CoV-2 infection.