Covid-19: the virus can also affect your vision according to a new study

In some cases, Covid-19 can lead to serious complications such as respiratory failure, or even acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), heart rhythm disorders, neurological damage or bacterial superinfections.

Eyes are susceptible to coronavirus

In a new study published in the scientific journal type communications, researchers have looked at the consequences of Sars-CoV-2 infection on the ocular sphere. They also investigated whether the eyes can serve as a route of infection for the virus.

In a clinical trial in animal models, scientists demonstrated that the eyes and trigeminal nerves are susceptible to the virus. The coronavirus could therefore infect the eye through the respiratory tract, via the brain.

“The ACE2 receptor is what the virus attaches to to infect a particular cell in a tissue or organ. This receptor is found in abundance in the lungs, tonsils, nasal cavity, kidneys and heart, which explains why many reports have been published for these organs. But we found that ACE2 receptors are also present in the eye, thus facilitating infection.”explained Professor Suresh Mahalingam, co-author of the study and director of research at the Menzies Health Institute of Griffith University (Australia).

Covid-19: infection could cause temporary visual impairment

According to the study’s conclusions, impaired vision in Covid-19 is due to inflammation of the optic nerves, abnormal fluid accumulation and infiltration of immune cells which lead to a retinal thickening.

“The virus can infect the eye through the nerve tissues located at the back of the eyeball which play a role in the visual aspects of the eye and sending signals for visual purposes (…) The result of this inflammation retinal was a reduction in depth perception due to blurred vision”, noted Professor Suresh Mahalingam.

However, the scientists indicated that this blurred vision appears to be only symptomatic, and not a permanent degeneration of the eye tissue.