A new study has just identified a link between Covid-19 and partial or total loss of sight. This phenomenon results from the ability of the virus to cause inflammation of the walls of the vessels in any organ.
The symptoms of Covid-19 are mainly respiratory. But a new American study warns of the potentially permanent consequences of a Covid-19 infection on the eyes. The virus would expose some patients to a sharp drop in their visual acuity.
Study results
In the review JAMA Ophthalmology, researchers have shown a link between retinal occlusion and virus infection. The latter analyzed 430,000 people who had been infected with Covid-19.
After comparing their health data several weeks following their infection, the researchers discovered that the number of people suffering from retinal vascular occlusion was higher “in the six months following the Covid-19 infection compared to the six months before. the infection”.
In the six months following the contamination, 65 patients among the entire study group had a retinal vein occlusion (RVO). A low number, but which reflects an increase in the incidence rate of 54% compared to the rate of infection in the general population excluding Covid-19. They also report a 35% increase in cases of central retinal artery occlusion (CRAO).
A rare phenomenon
This symptom must be taken care of medically to avoid losing the functionality of the eye (although a natural cure is sometimes possible). However, it remains rare, as confirmed by the figures of the study.