Scientists have learned to detect coronavirus by samples of tears
Scientists from the University of São Paulo in Brazil have learned to detect covid by analyzing tears. They found that SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19) can also be detected from tear fluid samples. In terms of accuracy, the test can replace a swab from the nasopharynx, according to the Journal of Clinical Medicine.
The results of the experiment, which involved more than 60 people, showed that subjects with virus particles in tear fluid were almost seven times more likely to die, since coronavirus in tears is detected with a high viral load, the scientists noted.
To conduct the analysis, experts used the Schirmer test, in which a strip of special paper is placed inside the lower eyelid for five minutes. Diagnosis by tears can be, according to researchers, an alternative to a smear from the nasopharynx, which is unpleasant for a person. They also noted that healthcare workers can become infected with COVID-19 through a patient's tears, although this is unlikely.
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