Conjunctiva is not a preferred gateway of entry for SARS‐CoV‐2 to infect respiratory tract

Liu, Zhe; Sun, Chuan‐bin

The conjunctival mucosa is directly exposed to infectious droplets expelled by patients during close contact and fomites when the eye is touched by contaminated hands.(2, 3) More over, the mucosa of the conjunctiva and upper respiratory tract is connected by nasolacrimal duct, and share the same entry receptor of SARS‐CoV‐2, angiotensin‐converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), on host cell membranes.(2, 3) Hence, it is reasonable to postulate that the conjunctiva may be easily involved in SARS‐CoV‐2 infection, and may even act as a route of transmission during SARS‐CoV‐2 infection. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.