Vision changes in patients with long COVID may reflect severe disease phenotype
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SEATTLE – Persistent vision changes were found to be a symptom of severe forms of long COVID and were associated with worse clinical manifestations, according to a poster presentation.
“There have been a lot of reports of ocular symptoms in long COVID, but one remaining question that has yet to be asked is, ‘How did those with long COVID and ocular symptoms differ from those who had long COVID but did not have any ocular symptoms?’” Shayaan Kaleem, MD, told Healio at the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology.
Kaleem and colleagues conducted a study using data from 595 participants with long COVID enrolled in the Yale School of Medicine’s LISTEN (Listen to Immune, Symptom and Treatment Experiences Now) observational study, which collected information about symptoms and medical history from adults with self-reported long COVID. The LISTEN study began at Yale, but now includes a cohort of patients from around the world. Vision changes were defined as a loss or decrease in quality of vision, blurry vision, presence of floaters, flashes of light or dry eye.
“We found that, of the 595 participants, 57% had vision changes, and although those with ocular symptoms were similar in age, race and pre-pandemic comorbidities compared to those without ocular symptoms, they had more hospitalizations, worse health status and rated their symptoms as more severe,” Kaleem said.
Patients with these vision changes experienced higher levels of new-onset health conditions including mast cell disorders, dysautonomia, gastrointestinal issues, myalgic encephalomyelitis and migraine. Unlike patients without ocular symptoms, they also reported dizziness, cold intolerance, occipital pressure, tinnitus and tremors.
The authors concluded that vision changes may reflect a severe phenotype of long COVID that will require tailored management.
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Kaleem S, et al. Vision changes in long COVID: A cross-sectional study. Presented at: Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology meeting; May 5-9, 2024; Seattle.
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