A Review on the Incidence of Conjunctivitis Seen in COVID-19 Disease

Conjunctivitis is a pathological problem of the eye. It can be defined as an inflammatory condition consisting of membranes and conjunctiva. It can be caused by several organisms and has several possible causes. It may be caused by bacteria, viruses, fungus, or protozoa and may also occur due to infection. Conjunctivitis is a prevalent issue in developing and developed countries. In layman's language, it can also progress to red-eye very commonly and, therefore, the red disease. The treatment of conjunctivitis includes no such medications since some of them are self-healing. However, some require topical steroids to relieve the inflammation—moreover, antihistaminics, mast cell stabilizers, and NSAIDs. In bacterial conjunctivitis, antibiotics are given according to the causative organisms.

Since the virus outbreak started in India and the people of our country underwent several restrictions, including strict lockdowns, we people are bound to use electronic gadgets and online learning platforms, which has exceeded our screen time to several folds. This has increased the prevalence of different eye disorders causing refractive errors, vision loss, dry eye, eyes watering, etc. Even the toddlers who should ideally be put into a playschool and be physically active and kept away from any screen are bound to sit in front of their laptops for hours to learn something. Also, sometimes a patient may present with conjunctivitis as the only symptom. Therefore, this review article will shed light on the above sentences and discuss the severity.