COVID -19 and ophthalmic practice

Abstract

Severe acute respiratory syndrome- coronavirus-2 is an enveloped, single-stranded RNA virus that causes novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). It is highly transmissible and has a significant fatality rate, especially in the elderly and those with comorbidities such as immunosuppression, respiratory disease, and diabetes mellitus. The purpose of this brief review is to summarize those published studies as of early May 2020 on COVID in ophthalmology and to present a review of various national and international ophthalmological society guidelines, hoping to make a contribution for protecting ophthalmologists and patients.

Keywords

• coronavirus
• coronavirus disease 2019
• infection control
• ophthalmologists
• personal protective equipment
• severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus-2