Assessing Viral Shedding and Infectivity of Tears in Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Patients seah2020assessing

This study investigated the potential transmission of SARS-CoV-2 through tears by detecting the virus using viral isolation and quantitative reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) analysis. A total of 17 COVID-19 patients were enrolled in this prospective study in Singapore after obtaining informed consent. Researchers collected 135 nasopharyngeal swab samples and 32 tear samples throughout the study (all tear samples showed negative results for SARS-CoV-2 on viral isolation and RT-PCR). No evidence of SARS-CoV-2 shedding in tears was observed during the course of the disease. In conclusion, the findings suggest that the risk of SARS-CoV-2 transmission through tears is minimal.

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