Wuhan Coronavirus

On Jan 28, 2020, the American Academy of Ophthalmology issued an alert that warned that anecdotal reports suggest that Wuhan Coronavirus can cause conjunctivitis. Conjunctivitis is an inflammation of the surface of the eye, and some types of infectious conjunctivitis are commonly referred to as “pink eye.” The alert went on to state that those patients who present with conjunctivitis as well as respiratory symptoms and have recent travel history to Wuhan might be suffering from the new coronavirus and should be reported to the state health department for further testing. While this could cause a bit of a panic, it is important to remember that the travel history is an important component of this. Certainly, most people with conjunctivitis do NOT need to fear that their conjunctivitis is due to Wuhan Coronavirus.