Eyesight problems seem to be a real symptom of virus

EYE problems have been detected in coronavirus patients and should be recorded to better understand the connection, leading medics have said.

The Royal College of Ophthalmologists revealed it was aware of a handful of cases of viral conjunctivitis in people with Covid-19.

Separately, experts said that ophthalmic complications from the virus can affect people’s eyesight.

It comes after Dominic Cummings stated his reason for driving to Barnard Castle was to test his vision before driving to London after recovering from suspected Covid-19.

“I’d been extremely ill. My vision had been a bit weird,” the Prime Minister’s chief adviser said on Monday.

Although British experts are aware of only a small number of cases in the UK, a Chinese study found that the virus affected the eyes of approximately one third of patients.

Last night, a spokesman for Moorfields NHS Eye Hospital in London called for better data collection of Covid-19-related eye conditions.

Earlier in the crisis, government experts spent weeks downplaying the significance of loss of taste and smell as a possible symptom of the virus, only to add it to the official case definition last week.

Robert Maclaren, professor of ophthalmology at the University of Oxford, said: “Coronavirus can affect the eyes in several ways. It was reported in approximately one third of patients in Wuhan in a recent study.

“The ocular manifestations in the Wuhan patients included conjunctivitis, conjunctival hyperaemia (red eye), chemosis (eye swelling), epiphora (watery eye) and increased secretions (sticky eye).

“Any of the above symptoms may affect vision and affected patients would be advised to drive with caution or not at all if there was significant blurring of vision or double vision.”

It is already known that other upper respiratory tract infections can cause conjunctivitis, which is an irritation of the membrane covering the eye.

For the majority of patients this mild and does not affect eyesight.

Covid-19 is not thought to cause permanent sight loss.

Moorfields said: “We need more data to see if there is an association.”

It came as the Association of Optometrists warned motorists to contact an expert before driving if they had any worries.