Leeds eye doctor debunks myths around Covid-19 and eyes

Shafiq Rehman, a surgeon at Optegra Eye Hospital Yorkshire, which has a clinic in Leeds, stressed the importance of continuing to care for all aspects of health - including eyesight - while the battle with coronavirus continues.

For those questioning whether you catch coronavirus through the eyes, Mr Rehman said although there have been reports of the virus being detected in swabs of patients' eyes, there have been "no confirmed reports of transmission occurring purely from the eyes".

He added: "It is however possible that infected patients will for a time shed virus from their tears and so good personal hygiene principles should apply - which in essence means safe distancing and frequent hand washing remain the cornerstone of reducing the 'R' number."

Despite the well-publicised eyesight-checking round trip to Barnard Castle by the Prime Minister's special adviser Dominic Cummings, Mr Rehman said there is "no evidence to support any impact on vision", but said Covid-19 can cause conjunctivitis - red, watery eye - and some mild retinal changes.

Mr Rehman acknowledged that the advice to avoid touching faces is "practically impossible" for those wearing glasses or contact lenses.

But he said to try and reduce the number of times people touch their glasses' frames, which should also be regularly washed with soap and water and to wash hands before and after handling contact lenses.

He added: "Should you need your glasses replaced, for example, if they have been lost or broken, most optometrists are able to provide an emergency service for this. It is usually by appointment."

Mr Rehman said despite the current recommendation that routine eye tests should be postponed, there are "certain symptoms which should not be ignored" such as: "red eye, contact lens discomfort, foreign bodies, recent change or loss of vision, recent onset of eye pain or double vision, sudden onset of flashes/floaters/dark shadows in your vision or sudden onset of distorted wavy lines".

He added: "Also if you are a key worker struggling to perform your job effectively because of difficulties with vision.

"Phone your local optometrist first who may see you that day and will certainly be able to advise."

Optegra Eye Hospital has just re-opened its doors for laser eye surgery, with precautions including visual screening consultations, temperature checks on arrival, face masks for patients and full PPE for staff.

He added: "We can also assure our patients that our standard of care in this regard will be robust and identical across all of our clinics and hospitals. "

For more information visit www.optegra.com.

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