DR. SAMEERA NAYAK

DR.TARAPRASAD DAS, DR.SAVITRI SHARMA, DR. DEEPIKA C P

Abstract

We analysed the clinical and microbiological data of COVID-19 patients from April 2020 to January 2021 presenting with features of endogenous endophthalmitis within 12 weeks of discharge from the hospital. The data included demography, systemic comorbidities, COVID treatment details, the microbiology of systemic and ocular samples, ophthalmic management. The mean age of 24 patients (33 eyes) was 53.6 + 13.5 (range, 5 to 72) years; 17 (70.83%) patients were male; 22 (91.6%) patients had systemic comorbidities; and the median period of hospitalisation for COVID-19 treatment was 14.5 + 0.7 (range 7-63) days. Five (20.8%) patients died of COVID-19 related complications during treatment for endophthalmitis; 8 eyes regained vision > 20/400. Fourteen of 19 (73.7%) vitreous biopsies were microbiologically positive (culture, PCR, and microscopy), and the majority (11 patients, 78.5%) were fungi. Intraocular infection in hospitalised COVID patients is predominantly caused by fungi.