Covid identified in the “tears” of a child: the first case in San Matteo

Pavia, December 29, 2020 – Published in the “European Journal of Ophthalmology” a study carried out by doctors and researchers from the Saint Matteo of Pavia Relative to first identification case of Sars-CoV-2 in an eye sample from a pediatric patient. The 11-year-old boy was referred to the San Matteo pediatric clinic for medical investigations, due to having had prolonged and close contact with a family member affected by Covid.

“On the first visit, the patient was asymptomaticShe had no cough, fever, fatigue, sore throat or diarrhea, and there were no signs of respiratory tract infection – says Gianluigi Marseglia, director of pediatrics at San Matteo -. The patient’s blood tests showed a slight increase in transaminase values ​​and the ultrasound examination of the lung showed a slight pleural irregularity, associated with mild interstitial disease. Subject to nasopharynx swabor, then it was positive for Covid-19 “.

The child was then kept under observation and a few days after admission he began to complain of mild eye symptoms such as burning and tear, prompting doctors to request an ophthalmologic evaluation. No signs of conjunctivitis or keratitis were found, but it was also collected a conjunctival swab, which was also positive. Twelve days after admission, the patient was discharged from the hospital and quarantined until negative nasal and eye swabs were found.