Detection of SARS-CoV-2 genomic and subgenomic RNA in retina and optic nerve of patients with COVID-19.
Maria K CasagrandeAntonia FitzekMartin SpitzerKlaus PüschelMarkus GlatzelSusanne KrasemannMartin AepfelbacherDominik NörzMarc LütgehetmannSusanne PfefferleMaximilian SchultheissPublished in: The British journal of ophthalmology (2021)
SARS-CoV-2 RNA is detectable in RB and ONB of patients with COVID-19. Presence of sgRNA could point to a SARS-CoV-2 infection of neuronal tissue, but as virus isolation failed and immunohistochemistry of SARS-CoV-2 spike protein was negative, an active infection seems unlikely.