Epidemic retinitis during the COVID-19 pandemic

To study the impact of the novel coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on incidence, seasonal variation, clinical presentation, and disease outcome of epidemic retinitis (ER) and to compare clinical outcomes with positive and negative COVID-19 serology.

This is a retrospective, observational study conducted at a tertiary eye care hospital from August 2020 to June 2022. A graph of ER cases against the month of presentation was compared with the graph of the COVID-19 pandemic in the same region. Cases presented before COVID-19 vaccination, with positive COVID-19 serology (Group 1) were compared with cases with negative serology (Group 2).

One hundred and thirty-two cases of ER were seen. The least number of cases were seen during and immediately after the peak of the pandemic (May 2021-August 2021). COVID-19 serology was positive in 13 (22 eyes)/60 (21.6%) unvaccinated cases. Along with COVID-19, positive serology for other ER etiologies was seen in 5/13 cases (38.4%). All patients received oral doxycycline with/without steroids. Groups 1 and 2 included 22 and 21 eyes of 13 cases each. Macular edema resolved in 43.6 and 32 days in groups 1 and 2, respectively. Retinitis resolved at 1 month in both groups. Corrected distant visual acuity was 20/50 and 20/70 at the presentation, which improved to 20/20 and 20/25 in groups 1 and 2, respectively. Mean and median follow-up was 6 months and 4.5 months, respectively, in both groups. No complications or recurrences were seen.

No significant impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on ER was observed.