Conjunctivitis and COVID‐19: A meta‐analysis

Loffredo, Lorenzo; Pacella, Fernanda; Pacella, Elena; Tiscione, Giulia; Oliva, Alessandra; Violi, Francesco

There are sparse data in literature regarding conjunctivitis incidence in COVID-19 and its relationship with disease severity. The objective of this metanalysis was to assess the association between conjunctivitis and the severity of COVID-19 disease. METHODS We performed a meta-analysis with studies that included patients with severe vs non-severe form of COVID-19 infection. Severe COVID-19 infection was defined as severe pneumonia, mortality, acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), use of mechanical ventilation or Intensive Care Unit (ICU) treatment. RESULTS Three studies, including 1167 patients, reported the incidence of conjunctivitis at admission to the hospital. The overall rate of conjunctivitis was 1.1%; it was 3% and 0.7% in severe and non-severe COVID-19 patients, respectively. Patients with severe COVID-19 had an increased incidence of conjunctivitis (O.R.:3.4; 95% C.I.:1.1-10.2; p=0.030). CONCLUSIONS Conjunctivitis is more frequent in severe COVID and may be a warning sign of poor outcomes. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.