Unfortunately, we have seen countless severe and less severe side effects that occur from coronavirus, yet this is the first case reported of a patient experiencing temporary blindness. This man attracted the attention of scientists who are researching the effects of COVID-19.
If you thought you already knew all of this virus’s side effects, this story will surprise you.
Here’s the case of an American man who lost vision in his right eye for two days. His story could provide further insight into how coronavirus disrupts the immune system in ways that cause the body to attack itself.
The 70-year-old patient, whose name wasn’t released, had a runny nose and then tested positive for the virus. Three weeks later he arrived at the hospital with a number of the virus’s symptoms. In a report released by a team of doctors from Columbia University, they wrote that the man had recovered from all the symptoms, except for one headache that came a week later.
Shortly afterwards, his vision in his right eye began to deteriorate, until he was able to detect only wide movements. Also, any movement in this eye caused intense pain. This case story has been published in JAMA Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery.
Cases of temporary vision loss due to SARS-CoV-2 infection are uncommon, yet aren’t rare, with several cases suggesting a connection between the virus and short-term blindness. The place where this case stands out is in the combination of symptoms, including severe headaches and discomfort in the eye itself.
A CT scan quickly revealed the source of the patient's pain: the sinuses on the right side of his face were severely inflamed.
The swelling in this case was so severe that it caused the bone to spontaneously erode and required an emergency procedure to remove as much inflamed material from each sinus cavity as possible. At first, the surgery seemed to work, but the pain quickly returned and the patient’s vision didn’t improve.
Lab cultures showed the presence of the bacteria streptococcus constellatus, which is considered to be part of the body's natural flora and is usually found in the oral cavity. In severe cases, this bacteria can cause abscesses and inflammation of the heart. Further investigation has shown the prevalence of an active type of a white blood cell, one that usually produces a small and uncommon antibody called IgG4 at a rapid rate. Unlike other antibodies, this antibody is able to replicate itself in its entirety.
This antibody is known to cause its own problems through IgG4-(RD), an autoimmune condition that can affect almost any part of the body, which incorporates various diseases and can mimic diffuse vasculitis, infectious diseases or tumors. With a diagnosis of IgG4-related rhinitis, the patient received steroids and quickly returned to good health and recovered his vision. Within three weeks he fully recovered.
We have seen that SARS-CoV-2 is a tricky, tough virus when it comes to interfering with our immune response. However, even given an earlier medical study suggesting the same potential link between IgG4-RD to COVID-19, it’s too early to draw solid conclusions about a link between these two diseases.