Westlake Vision Center Optometry
Updated: March 18,2022
Dear Patients and Friends,
We are open for our "new normal" operations Monday to Friday 10 am to 6 pm and on Saturdays from 9 am to 3:30 pm. For the protection of our patients and our staff, all services are provided on an appointment basis, including glasses adjustments or repairs. Our maximum capacity is seven (7) patients at any time, in order to maintain social distancing, so we thank you for your understanding in advance. Please remember to wear a mask to your appointment. We look forward to hearing from you and helping you with your eyecare needs!
With warm regards,
Westlake Vision Center Optometry
Updated: April 16, 2020 5PM
Are “red eyes” a symptom of COVID-19?
According to recent news media, a registered nurse in Kirkland, Washington described her sickest COVID-19 patients as having red eyes. She described, “It's something that I witnessed in all of them (the patients). They have, like ... allergy eyes. The white part of the eye is not red. It's more like they have red eye shadow on the outside of their eyes."
The American Academy of Ophthalmology recently published a cautionary alert on their website that, “Several reports suggest the virus can cause a mild follicular conjunctivitis otherwise indistinguishable from other viral causes, and possibly be transmitted by aerosol contact with conjunctiva.”
Per the CDC, the reported symptoms to watch for are: fever, cough, and shortness of breath. Emergency warning signs to get medical attention immediately include: trouble breathing, persistent pain or pressure in the chest, new confusion or inability to arouse, and bluish lips or face. The list is not all inclusive, so please consult your primary care physician for any symptoms that are severe or concerning.
“Red eyes” and other possible symptoms not listed by the CDC but described in the news media are anecdotal evidence at this time.
There are two small scientific studies published in Ophthalmology (journal of the American Academy of Ophthalmology) and Journal of Medical Virology. The studies indicate that the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) may be detected in the tears and conjunctival secretions, however transmission through tears is low. Both studies agree that larger studies are required.
So what should you do if you have red eyes without any other symptoms?
1. Call our office first. Do not show up at to any medical or eye care facilities without a prior phone call. A phone call will allow our office or any healthy facility to prepare for your visit and diagnose and treat you in a proper manner.
2. If indicated, we can do a telehealth video visit or a simple snapshot of your eyes sent to us to help with a diagnosis. Non-HIPAA compliant communications platforms are allowed during the emergency as long as they are not public facing and initiated by the patient.
If you have any other symptoms that may be related to COVID-19, please call your primary care physician for further guidelines. If you develop emergency warning signs, seek medical attention immediately.
References:
https://www.cnn.com/2020/03/23/health/coronavirus-nurses-inside-washington-care-home/index.html
https://www.aao.org/headline/alert-important-coronavirus-context
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/symptoms-testing/symptoms.html
https://www.allaboutvision.com/conditions/coronavirus-and-your-eyes/
https://www.aaojournal.org/article/S0161-6420(20)30311-0/pdf
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/jmv.25725
Are “red eyes” a symptom of COVID-19?
According to recent news media, a registered nurse in Kirkland, Washington described her sickest COVID-19 patients as having red eyes. She described, “It's something that I witnessed in all of them (the patients). They have, like ... allergy eyes. The white part of the eye is not red. It's more like they have red eye shadow on the outside of their eyes."
The American Academy of Ophthalmology recently published a cautionary alert on their website that, “Several reports suggest the virus can cause a mild follicular conjunctivitis otherwise indistinguishable from other viral causes, and possibly be transmitted by aerosol contact with conjunctiva.”
Per the CDC, the reported symptoms to watch for are: fever, cough, and shortness of breath. Emergency warning signs to get medical attention immediately include: trouble breathing, persistent pain or pressure in the chest, new confusion or inability to arouse, and bluish lips or face. The list is not all inclusive, so please consult your primary care physician for any symptoms that are severe or concerning.
“Red eyes” and other possible symptoms not listed by the CDC but described in the news media are anecdotal evidence at this time.
There are two small scientific studies published in Ophthalmology (journal of the American Academy of Ophthalmology) and Journal of Medical Virology. The studies indicate that the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) may be detected in the tears and conjunctival secretions, however transmission through tears is low. Both studies agree that larger studies are required.
So what should you do if you have red eyes without any other symptoms?
1. Call our office first. Do not show up at to any medical or eye care facilities without a prior phone call. A phone call will allow our office or any healthy facility to prepare for your visit and diagnose and treat you in a proper manner.
2. If indicated, we can do a telehealth video visit or a simple snapshot of your eyes sent to us to help with a diagnosis. Non-HIPAA compliant communications platforms are allowed during the emergency as long as they are not public facing and initiated by the patient.
If you have any other symptoms that may be related to COVID-19, please call your primary care physician for further guidelines. If you develop emergency warning signs, seek medical attention immediately.
References:
https://www.cnn.com/2020/03/23/health/coronavirus-nurses-inside-washington-care-home/index.html
https://www.aao.org/headline/alert-important-coronavirus-context
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/symptoms-testing/symptoms.html
https://www.allaboutvision.com/conditions/coronavirus-and-your-eyes/
https://www.aaojournal.org/article/S0161-6420(20)30311-0/pdf
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/jmv.25725
