COVID 19 repercussions in ophthalmology: a narrative review

BACKGROUND: The new coronavirus of 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has spread globally and has repercussions within ophthalmological care. It has caused ocular manifestations in some patients, which can spread through eye secretions. OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this review was to summarize the currently available evidence on COVID-19 with regard to its implications for ophthalmology. DESIGN AND SETTING: Narrative review developed by a research group at Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo (SP), Brazil, and at Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, Munich, Germany. METHODS: We searched the literature on the repercussions of COVID-19 within ophthalmological care, using the MEDLINE and LILACS databases, with the keywords “COVID-19”, “ophthalmology” and “coronavirus”, from January 1, 2020, to March 27, 2021. Clinical trials, meta-analysis, randomized controlled trials, reviews and systematic reviews were identified. RESULTS: We retrieved 884 references, of which 42 were considered eligible for intensive review and critical analysis. Most of the studies selected reported the evidence regarding COVID-19 and its implications for ophthalmology. CONCLUSIONS: Knowledge of eye symptoms and ocular transmission of the virus remains incomplete. New clinical trials with larger numbers of patients may answer these questions in the future. Moreover, positively, implementation of innovative changes in medicine such as telemedicine and artificial intelligence may assist in diagnosing eye diseases and in training and education for students.