Characterization of ophthalmological manifestations in patients recovered from COVID-19

Abstract

Introduction: Since the end of 2019, the world has been immersed in a health crisis caused by COVID-19, with millions of deaths globally. Ocular involvement is associated with respiratory symptoms and may be the first manifestation of the disease. Objective: To describe the short- and long-term ophthalmological manifestations in patients recovered from COVID-19. Methodological design: A descriptive, longitudinal and prospective study was carried out. The universe was composed of patients recovered from COVID-19, who were being followed up in the national convalescent care protocol at the Hermanos Ameijeiras Hospital, and were referred to the Ophthalmology clinic from February 2021 to June 2023. The sample consisted of 180 eyes of 90 patients, who met the selection criteria. Results: There was a predominance of the age group composed of women between 40 and 49 years, which represented 34% of the total. Most cases (65.5%) were evaluated less than 3 months after the initial diagnosis. 25.5% of patients presented at least one ocular disease, with conjunctivitis being the most frequent (26.5%), followed by dry eye (18.3%). Conclusions: In the evolutionary follow-up, a decrease in ocular diseases initially diagnosed as conjunctivitis was observed, however, others such as dry eye remained unchanged in their percentage of presentation and clinical manifestations. Patients evaluated with a shorter time of evolution of COVID-19 presented more severe ocular conditions