The head of the Surveillance and Immunization Division of the Jakarta Health Office, Ngabila Salama, said this was a manifestation of conjunctivitis. Symptoms of pink eye are often accompanied by watery eyes, coughing and chest tightness.
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The symptom was present in the early outbreaks but was not widespread. Now, the number of patients confirmed to have this symptom is increasing. Therefore, this is considered a new manifestation of COVID-19 caused by the XBB.1.16 variant, which is the variant that has caused a spike in COVID-19 cases in Asia.
Dr Vipin M Vashishtha, a member of the World Health Organization (WHO) Vaccine Safety Network, also confirmed that this is a common symptom in newborns. In addition to high fever, chills and cough, many children have non-purulent conjunctivitis, itching and stickiness in the eyes. According to experts, small mutations in the virus can also cause changes in symptoms. The symptoms of each patient also vary depending on their vaccination status.
In a study published in April 2020, some patients experienced only conjunctivitis, with no other symptoms. The virus was found in the patients’ tears, according to the authors at the Truhlsen Eye Institute of Nebraska Medicine. “Typically, eye symptoms are associated with systemic symptoms of COVID-19,” explains Dr. Steven Yeh, an ophthalmologist at Nebraska Medicine. “They are typical of a typical respiratory illness, including fever, cough, and fatigue.”
Phuong Do (According to CNBC)
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