DR. SOUVIK MANNA

DR. SURAJ SINGH SENJAM

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic exacted a heavy toll on life and livelihood around the world. The number of people who got infected and subsequently recovered runs into millions in India. An online tool was developed and sent to patients who recovered from the infection to enquire about ocular manifestations of the disease. A total of 773 participants completed the online questionnaire out of which 257 (33.2%) reported having continuity of any symptoms beyond 15 days of recovering from the disease. Out of these, 82 (10.6%) reported having eye symptoms, among which itchy eyes (25), burning in the eyes (18), redness (17) and retro-orbital pain (16) were the most common symptoms. Visual impairment (either near or distance) was reported by 30 (3.8%) participants while dry eye was reported by 15 participants. Less commonly reported symptoms were foreign body sensation, diplopia and eye strain. Our study highlighted the need to include eye-health into the routine management of post-COVID-19 patients.