Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is caused by a highly contagious RNA virus termed as severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Ophthalmologists are at high-risk due to their proximity and short working distance at the time of slit-lamp examination. Eye care professionals can be caught unaware because conjunctivitis may be one of the first signs of COVID-19 at presentation, even precluding the emergence of additional symptoms such as dry cough and anosmia. Breath and eye shields as well as N95 masks, should be worn while examining patients with fever, breathlessness, or any history of international travel or travel from any hotspot besides maintaining hand hygiene. All elective surgeries need to be deferred. Adults or children with sudden-onset painful or painless visual loss, or sudden-onset squint, or sudden-onset floaters or severe lid oedema need a referral for urgent care. Patients should be told to discontinue contact lens wear if they have any symptoms of COVID-19. Cornea retrieval should be avoided in confirmed cases and suspects, and long-term preservation medium for storage of corneas should be encouraged. Retinal screening is unnecessary for coronavirus patients taking chloroquine or hydroxychloroquine as the probability of toxic damage to the retina is less due to short-duration of drug therapy. Tele-ophthalmology and artificial intelligence should be preferred for increasing doctor-patient interaction.


中文翻译：

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从眼科角度来看 COVID-19 大流行。



2019 年冠状病毒病 (COVID-19) 是由一种高度传染性的 RNA 病毒引起的，称为严重急性呼吸综合征冠状病毒 2 (SARS-CoV-2)。眼科医生在进行裂隙灯检查时，由于距离较近且工作距离较短，因此面临高风险。眼保健专业人员可能会措手不及，因为结膜炎可能是 COVID-19 的最初症状之一，甚至排除了干咳和嗅觉丧失等其他症状的出现。在检查发烧、呼吸困难或有国际旅行史或来自任何热点地区的患者时，除了保持手部卫生外，还应佩戴呼吸防护罩和眼罩以及 N95 口罩。所有择期手术都需要推迟。突然发生的疼痛性或无痛性视力丧失、突然发生的斜视、突然发生的飞蚊症或严重的眼睑水肿的成人或儿童需要转诊进行紧急护理。如果患者出现任何 COVID-19 症状，应告知患者停止佩戴隐形眼镜。对确诊病例和疑似病例应避免进行角膜摘除，鼓励使用长期保存介质保存角膜。对于服用氯喹或羟氯喹的冠状病毒患者，无需进行视网膜筛查，因为药物治疗时间短，对视网膜造成毒性损害的可能性较小。远程眼科和人工智能应该是增加医患互动的首选。