In fact, new research has pinpointed sore eyes as a potential first sign that you have COVID. For more on this discovery, keep reading, and for other signs you may not recognize, This Strange Symptom May Be the Earliest Sign You Have COVID, Study Says.
A study published in the BMJ Open Ophthalmology journal on Nov. 30 found that sore eyes may be the “most significant ocular symptom” associated with coronavirus patients. Researchers from the Anglia Ruskin University (ARU) surveyed 83 COVID patients and found that 81 percent reported eye issues within two weeks of other coronavirus symptoms.
Eye issues in relation to COVID is not necessarily news, as the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) marks conjunctivitis (pink eye) as a known virus symptom. However, researchers for the new study want the label “conjunctivitis” changed, as the pink eye symptoms for coronavirus may not present in the typical way people expect.
“Conjunctivitis has been reported in people suffering from COVID-19. However, many ocular symptoms are associated with the term ‘conjunctivitis’ which may be misleading,” the study states.
Researchers found that the three most common ocular symptoms experienced by coronavirus patients were photophobia (18 percent), sore eyes (16 percent), and itchy eyes (17 percent).
The reason why researchers point specifically to sore eyes is because this symptom had the highest distinction of frequency between COVID patients and those without the virus. Only 5 percent of participants reported sore eyes before experiencing coronavirus symptoms, compared to 16 percent who reported sore eyes during their illness.
“While it is important that ocular symptoms are included in the list of possible COVID-19 symptoms, we argue that sore eyes should replace ‘conjunctivitis,’ as it is important to differentiate from symptoms of other types of infections, such as bacterial infections, which manifest as mucous discharge or gritty eyes,” lead study author Shahina Pardhan, PhD, director of the Vision and Eye Research Institute at ARU, said in a statement. “This study is important because it helps us understand more about how COVID-19 can infect the conjunctiva and how this then allows the virus to spread through the body.”
Sore eyes, itchy eyes, and photophobia were not the only ocular symptoms researchers compared in patients before and during COVID, however. Read on for more eye issues that could be coronavirus signs, and for more on the spread of COVID, This Is Where You’re Most Likely to Get COVID Right Now, White House Says.
1. Watery eyes
A middle-aged woman wearing a white blouse and jacket takes off her glasses to rub her eyes.
Patients experiencing this before COVID: 7 percent
Patients experiencing this during COVID: 12 percent
And for more subtle coronavirus symptoms, These 4 Easy-To-Miss Symptoms Could Mean You Have COVID, Experts Say.
2. Mucous discharge
Tired student learning at home. She is rubbing her eyes.
Patients experiencing this before COVID: 2 percent
Patients experiencing this during COVID: 4 percent
And if you’re worried about the spread of coronavirus, Dr. Fauci Says This One Thing Could Spread COVID More Than Anything Yet.
3. Gritty eyes
Mature man rubbing his eyes with tiredness
Patients experiencing this before COVID: 4 percent
Patients experiencing this during COVID: 5 percent
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4. Foreign body sensation
Patients experiencing this before COVID: 2 percent
Patients experiencing this during COVID: 5 percent
And for more on eye health, If You’re Using This OTC Medication Daily, See a Doctor.