Update on COVID-19 from the doctors and staff at White Bear Eye Clinic

At White Bear Eye Clinic, we want everyone to be informed and educated about the coronavirus, COVID-19, and how it impacts the care of their eyes. The COVID-19 virus is most known for problems it can cause with a person’s respiratory system, but there are some eye considerations that we would like to share with you.

· COVID-19 can cause redness of the eyes that looks similar to pink eye, although this is a rarer presentation than respiratory symptoms. Therefore, if a patient calls our office with symptoms of pink eye, we will ask about additional symptoms like fever, cough or difficulty breathing as well as recent travel history or exposure to anyone with COVID-19. If the answer is “yes” to these questions, that patient will be referred to a clinic that is able to test for COVID-19 – we do not have that testing capability in our clinic.

· The COVID-19 virus is believed to spread from person to person through tiny liquid droplets created when an infected person coughs or sneezes. An uninfected person can then become infected if they touch something that has these droplets on it, and then touch their mouth, nose, or eyes. The best way to avoid being infected in this way is to wash your hands thoroughly and often.

At White Bear Eye Clinic, we take all reasonable precautions to protect our patients and staff from being infected with any type of communicable disease, including COVID-19. We ask that patients who have upcoming eye appointments with us keep these appointments unless they are experiencing cold or flu-like symptoms, or have had an exposure or recent travel necessitating isolation. If a patient is not sure if they are okay to keep their visit with us, or want more information about how COVID-19 can affect their eyes, we encourage them to call us at 651-429-3379.