Your Eyes and Long COVID

This is by Laine Bergeson at CIDRAP, 4-8-26:

Eye symptoms may signal higher-severity long COVID  

"New-onset eye-related symptoms in people diagnosed as having long COVID may be an indicator of more-severe disease, according to a cross-sectional study published in Clinical Ophthalmology.

"For the study, researchers led by a team at Yale School of Medicine analyzed survey data from 595 adults who self-reported having long COVID in surveys conducted from May 2022 to October 2023. Participants’ median age was 46 years, and 73% were women. Overall, 57% reported new-onset ocular symptoms—which were defined as blurred or lost vision, dry eyes, or floaters or flashes—after their initial COVID-19 infection.

Worse overall health, greater financial burden

"Despite having similar pre-pandemic health profiles, participants with eye symptoms reported significantly worse overall health than those without such symptoms. Participants with symptoms also had higher rates of postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (rapid heart rate upon standing) and autonomic nervous system disorders such as dizziness, tremors, and difficulty regulating body temperature (38% vs 15%); gastrointestinal issues (21% vs 11%); and migraines (15% vs 4%)

"The five most important symptoms distinguishing participants with ocular symptoms from those without were dizziness, cold intolerance, pressure at the base of the head, tinnitus (ringing or other sounds in the ears), and tremors. 

"The findings also pointed to broader clinical and socioeconomic differences. Those with ocular symptoms were more likely to report financial difficulties (20% vs 9%) and concerns about housing stability (16% vs 5%), which the researchers attributed to the effects of long COVID.

Need for clinicians to consider eye symptoms 

"The authors suggest that ocular symptoms may reflect more-severe long COVID. “Individuals with long COVID with self-reported new-onset ocular symptoms after infection may represent a more severe phenotype, with poorer health status and greater socioeconomic challenges despite similar pre-pandemic health profiles,” they write. 

"The study had several limitations. All data were self-reported, raising the potential for recall bias, and the study population was predominantly female and White, which may limit generalizability.

'Still, the findings highlight the need for clinicians to consider eye symptoms when it comes to long COVID. The researchers call for future studies to focus on the specific type of ocular problems associated with long COVID, understanding how eye issues relate to other symptoms, and identifying targeted treatments."