Two new JAMA Ophthalmology studies detail cases of conjunctivitis in hospitalized children and adults with COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, one of them finding that nearly a quarter of pediatric patients had this condition.Conjunctivitis, or "pink eye," is an infection or inflammation of the membrane lining the eyeball and eyelid.Published yesterday, the first study found that 49 of 216 pediatric COVID-19 patients (23%) hospitalized from Jan 26 to Mar 18 had conjunctival discharge and congestion and eye rubbing.
Those with systemic coronavirus symptoms or cough were most likely to have ocular symptoms but improved or recovered with only eye drops or no treatment.The most common ocular signs and symptoms included conjunctival discharge (27 [55%]),