Detection of SARS-CoV-2 in Human Retinal Biopsies of Deceased COVID-19 Patients

• Published in: Ocular immunology and inflammation Vol. 28; no. 5; pp. 721 - 725
• Main Authors: Casagrande, Maria, Fitzek, Antonia, Püschel, Klaus, Aleshcheva, Ganna, Schultheiss, Heinz-Peter, Berneking, Laura, Spitzer, Martin S., Schultheiss, Maximilian
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Taylor & Francis 03.07.2020
• Subjects: ACE-2; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Autopsy; Betacoronavirus - genetics; Betacoronavirus - isolation & purification; Biopsy; Clinical Laboratory Techniques; Coronavirus Infections - diagnosis; Coronavirus Infections - mortality; Coronavirus Infections - virology; COVID-19; COVID-19 Testing; COVID-19 Vaccines; Eye Enucleation; Eye Infections, Viral - mortality; Eye Infections, Viral - virology; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Pandemics; Pneumonia, Viral - mortality; Pneumonia, Viral - virology; Prospective Studies; Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; retina; Retinal Diseases - mortality; Retinal Diseases - virology; RNA, Viral - genetics; RT-PCR; SARS-CoV-2; COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2; ACE-2; retina; autopsy; RT-PCR
• ISSN: 0927-3948; 1744-5078; 1744-5078
• DOI: 10.1080/09273948.2020.1770301

To report the presence of viral ribonucleic acid (RNA) of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in human retina in deceased patients with confirmed novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Fourteen eyes of 14 deceased patients with confirmed COVID-19 disease were enucleated during autopsy. A sample of human retina was secured and fixed in RNAlater™. Real-time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was performed to detect three different viral RNA sequences (RdRp-gene, E-gene and Orf1 gene) of SARS-CoV-2. In three out of 14 eyes SARS-CoV-2 viral RNA was detected in the retina of deceased COVID-19 patients. As analysis for three different sequences (RdRp-gene, E-gene and Orf1 gene) revealed positive results in RT-PCR, the existence of SARS-CoV-2 viral RNA in human retina is proven according to the standards of the World-Health-Organization. Viral RNA of SARS-CoV-2 is detectable in the retina of COVID-19 patients.