Tag: covid-19

Pink eyes after recovering from a cold?

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Juan Ding, OD, PhD

Just the first week in 2024 back in clinic, I started seeing several pink eye cases. Some of these have one thing in common, that the patient recently had covid or other viral illnesses.

Patient #1 had covid related pneumonia and recovered 4 weeks later, her red eyes onset just a few days after pneumonia diagnosis. With treatment of doxycycline respiratory symptoms almost resolved, but red and painful eyes persisted. There was even involvement of the cornea and the iris (keratitis and uveitis).

Patient #2 had covid with bad symptoms (upper respiratory, fever and fatigue), but no pneumonia. Red eyes onset after she almost recovered fully from covid. The conjunctivitis appeared viral, no involvement elsewhere in the eye.

Patient #3 had cold symptoms, but did not test positive for covid, and we don’t know what virus he had. After he almost recovered from the coughing symptoms, his eyes became red. Only conjunctivitis and no cornea involvement.

There were earlier reports in 2020 when covid first came out that pink eye, or conjunctivitis, could be the first symptom and sometimes the only symptom of covid. I have not read much that the eye symptoms come after acute covid symptom resolution. But apparently that could happen, as I saw a cluster of these just in 2 days. It is common to see viral conjunctivitis showing up at the same time or some days after the cold symptoms such as in patient #1, not too often when the cold symptoms completely resolve like in patients #2 and 3. Of course, patients could be having different interpretations about the resolution of the respiratory symptoms- it’s possible they are just getting much better and not completely over the cold.

Anyway, in the peak of all the viral infections in January and February, you may come down with red eyes when you have a cold, sometimes even after coming out of a cold. Sometimes it’s not just a pink eye, it can be infection or inflammation of the deeper structure of the eye, and it is best go see an eye doctor.

Leave a comment below, when you had a pink eye, was it stand alone, or before or after cold symptoms?

Increased myopia among children during COVID-19

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Covid-19 has really affected so many aspects of our lives. With all that isolation inside, and the remote learning with digital screens, parents worry about their kids’ health. Many worry this will do great havoc to their eyesight, and they are not wrong.

Research has shown that confinement to home due to covid-19 is associated with an increase in myopia. Scientists have been monitoring the refractive error of 123 535 Chinese children since 2015. While the refractive error was showing a pretty steady trend in kids 6 to 8 years of age from 2015 to 2019, there was a sharp and dramatic change toward myopia in 2020 (Figure 1). Many Chinese children already don’t get enough outdoor activities and spend way too much time studying, and the covid-19 put extra strain in terms of even further decrease of outdoor time and increase of screen time.

Figure 1. Young children show a dramatic increase in myopia in 2020 compared to previous years [1]. Figure from reference [1]

I only hope that with universal vaccination and a good hygiene habit that we have formed during the past year, children will be able to be back to school and enjoy normal outside activities soon. If you think you child may have trouble seeing, please bring them to an eye doctor.

[1] Wang J, Li Y, Musch DC, et al. Progression of Myopia in School-Aged Children After COVID-19 Home Confinement. JAMA Ophthalmol. 2021;139(3):293–300. doi:10.1001/jamaophthalmol.2020.6239