Our eyes may play an important role in spreading and preventing the spread of the new coronavirus worldwide. For example, a doctor at Peking University believes that not protecting the eyes when treating patients with the virus can spread the disease. However, medical officials say that although the condition is unlikely, it could spread.
Avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth with unwashed hands to reduce the risk of spreading the coronavirus that threatens a person. These mucous membranes (membranes that cover various cavities in the body) are highly susceptible to transmitting the virus.
What is a coronavirus?
Reports of a new coronavirus, also known as Covid-19, first surfaced in Wuhan, China in late December 2019.
Coronaviruses are a group of common viruses. According to the US National Library of Medicine, some of these viruses only affect animals such as bats, cats, camels and cows, while others affect humans.
Covid-19 can cause a mild illness such as a cold or other important illnesses such as pneumonia and kidney failure. In the most severe case, the disease can be life threatening. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), this group of viruses is known as the seventh group of coronaviruses.
How does the new corona virus relate to your eyes?
Patients with the new coronavirus may have ocular symptoms.
ConjunctivitisInflammation of the pupil membrane of the eye is often referred to as pink eye. In conjunctivitis, the eyes are often infected, red, or moist.
Viral conjunctivitis is known for upper respiratory infections such as colds, flu, etc., and may be a sign of Covid-19 virus. A recent study in hospitals across China and published in the New England Journal of Medicine found that conjunctival congestion or Pink eyesHas infected the eyes of 9 out of 1,099 people with coronavirus.
A study in the Journal of Medical Virology found that of the 30 patients admitted for Covid-19, only one had conjunctivitis. According to this information, the development of conjunctivitis is low. The relationship between coronavirus transmission and your eyes is complex.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Covid-19 is thought to be released through airborne droplets when a person coughs or sneezes and can be transmitted from person to person, much like Influenza virus spread. These respiratory droplets can reach the ground through the mouth or nose of people near you and be inhaled into the lungs.
Medical experts are not sure if a person can transmit the virus by touching a surface or object, such as a table or a handle, on which the Covid-19 virus is located, and then touching the mouth, nose, or possibly the eyes. Slow or not.
Wang Guangfa, a respiratory specialist at Peking University, believes he contracted the Covid-19 virus when he came in contact with patients at Chinese health clinics.
Wang reported that the symptoms first appeared with inflammation of the left eye and then fever and sputum accumulation in the nose and throat, after which a new coronavirus was diagnosed in him.
Wang thinks the virus entered his left eye because he did not wear goggles.
Dr. John Evans Patterson, a professor of medicine and pathology at the School of Infectious Diseases in San Antonio, confirms that what happened to Wang could potentially happen.
According to Dr. Patterson, in Wang’s condition, respiratory droplets could have reached Wang’s eyes or other mucous membranes through an infected person.
“Transmission of Covid-19 is often associated with many unknown factors, and transmission through eye-to-eye contact can be possible but unlikely,” said Dr. Stephen Thomas, Head of the Department of Infectious Diseases at SUNY Upstate Medical University in Syracuse, New York.
How contagious can the new coronavirus be?
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), it is not yet clear how the virus spreads easily or steadily from person to person.
Many large gatherings and events to address public health have been canceled or postponed to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus. considered.
Schools have canceled classes and switched to online courses, and sports leagues and museums have been closed to prevent the virus from spreading to the community.
What are the signs and symptoms of the new coronavirus?
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the symptoms of Covid-19 include mild to severe respiratory illnesses that are accompanied by fever, cough, and respiratory problems. Other symptoms include runny nose, sore throat and headache.
Many people have only mild symptoms, but others, which usually involve the elderly or people with other medical problems, show more severe symptoms, including pneumonia, which can be fatal.
Symptoms usually appear 2 to 14 days after a person is exposed to the virus.
How is Covid-19 virus diagnosed?
Health professionals diagnose coronavirus by testing samples taken from the respiratory system, blood or other body fluids.
Is there a vaccine or treatment for the new coronavirus?
No vaccine or antiviral treatment for coronavirus has been identified so far, so the best way to limit the spread of the virus is to quickly isolate people who are infected with the virus before it can cause further infection. Become people. (Or if they are likely to be exposed)
How can you reduce the risk of spreading the coronavirus?
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has launched a site with the latest and most up-to-date information on outbreaks.
The steps recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to prevent the spread of the disease include the following:
Clean your hands frequently
- Wash your hands frequently with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after returning from a public place, before eating, using the toilet, emptying your nose, coughing, or sneezing.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth, especially with unwashed hands, as much as possible.
Be less exposed to this virus
- Do not have close contact with people who have this disease.
- If you are sick, stay home unless you need medical attention.
Cover your mouth when coughing and sneezing
- Use a handkerchief when coughing or sneezing, or cough and sneeze on the inside of the elbow.
- Put used napkins in the trash.
- Immediately after sneezing or coughing, wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.
- If you are sick, cover your mouth and nose with a face mask.
If you are not sick, you do not need to use a face mask except when caring for a person who is ill and if sick people are not able to use a face mask. Face masks may be less available and should be reserved for health care workers, sick people and caregivers.
Clean and disinfect surfaces
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the available evidence suggests that the new coronavirus can survive for hours to days on surfaces made of a variety of materials. Cleaning and disinfecting dirty surfaces is the best way to prevent Covid-19 virus and other viral respiratory illnesses in families and social settings.
The Washington Post reports, citing laboratory evidence and research conducted at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, that some coronaviruses can stay on cardboard or paper for up to 24 hours and on plastic surfaces for up to 3 days. Stainless steel, potentially remain and cause contamination.
What coatings can you use to reduce your exposure to the virus?
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), if you suspect that you may be exposed to a person with coronavirus, you should wear protective goggles, surgical masks, medical gowns, medical gloves, and medical masks. Equip disposable.
