TY - JOUR T1 - SARS-CoV-2 on the ocular surface: is it truly a novel transmission route? JF - British Journal of Ophthalmology JO - Br J Ophthalmol SP - 1190 LP - 1195 DO - 10.1136/bjophthalmol-2020-316263 VL - 105 IS - 9 AU - Xuhui Chen AU - Huimin Yu AU - Ting Mei AU - Bo Chen AU - Liwen Chen AU - Shanling Li AU - Xian Zhang AU - Xufang Sun Y1 - 2021/09/01 UR - http://bjo.bmj.com/content/105/9/1190.abstract N2 - Since December 2019, the novel COVID-19 outbreak has spread rapidly around the globe and infected millions of people. Although the major transmission route of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is considered to be airborne droplets and close contact, the ocular transmission route has been reported with great concern. The current work summarises the characteristics of SARS-CoV-2, the ocular distribution of the major SARS-CoV-2 binding protein, and the experimental and clinical evidence of the ocular transmission route. Although it seems that the likelihood of the ocular surface being an infection gateway is low, SARS-CoV-2 infection or transmission via the ocular surface may cause conjunctivitis and other ocular discomfort. Therefore, good eye protection is an essential safeguard procedure, especially for medical staff. ER -