You noticed that you have got a hacking cough, accompanied by a runny nose and other appearance of cold or flu.

Your eyes now look red and bulging eyelids. This is just an indication that you may have been infected with conjunctivitis or a viral pink eye.

The virus that leads to illnesses such as flu and cold can also be a cause of conjunctivitis. How does this occur?

In the case of getting sick, you may transfer some of these viruses to your eye when you blow your nose, then wiping off a tear, it can even be something as getting to touch any area that surrounds your eye.

In recent developments doctors have discovered that the new strain of the coronavirus can lead to pink eye, this was announced by the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO).

COVID-19, the ravaging pandemic caused by the novel coronavirus began sometime in late December 2019 in Wuhan, China.

This new strain is believed to have moved from animals to humans and it has spread in an unprecedented fashion

It was not until March 11, 2020, that the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared the disease a pandemic.

There are two major ways that this new strain of coronavirus and other viruses too can get into the eye and lead to conjunctivitis;

Sneezes and coughs

If you are within six feet (6ft) of an infected person who coughs or sneezes and you are not with a protective cover like eyewear, then you could get infected with the virus.

Touching the eyes

From the hands to the eye, the virus could also get transmitted.

For instance, you could get infected if an individual with the virus handles an object and you touch the object, then place the hand into your eyes.

AAO has however stated that only between 1% to 3% of individuals who tested positive for COVID-19 gets conjunctivitis.

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