Acute, non-remitting conjunctivitis may be the only presenting symptom of COVID-19 infections in some instances, according to case reports on five patients in Italy.

Conjunctivitis remained the only symptom and sign of infection throughout the patients’ illness, the authors say. 

The findings highlight the importance of eye protection for healthcare professionals, even if patients do not show typical signs of infection, they advise.

“In these patients, acute conjunctivitis was the presenting sign and symptom, but also remained the sole form of manifestation of COVID-19,” they said in their report in IDCases.