How Susceptible is the Conjunctiva to COVID-19?

Researchers at the University of Hong Kong have found that SARS-CoV-2, the cause of COVID-19, replicates in the conjunctiva to a greater extent than the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus that triggered the notorious SARS epidemic (SARS-CoV) that afflicted 26 countries with more than 8,000 cases in 2003.[1] In fact, one of the researchers, in an interview with the South China Morning Post, says SARS-CoV-2 is much more efficient in infecting the human conjunctiva and the upper respiratory airways than SARS, with virus level about 80 to 100 times higher, which might explain its high transmissibility. However, the researchers and a leading corneal specialist in the United States, emphasize that the findings don’t necessarily translate to an increased risk of transmission of COVID-19 through the conjunctiva.