End of pandemic restrictions contributes to increase in conjunctivitis cases

Health units in São Paulo have had an increase in cases of conjunctivitis in recent weeks – the Cema, Leforte and Olhos hospitals have recorded an increase in the disease.

There was also an increase in cases in public units. According to SMS (Municipal Health Department), until September, 37,631 people with conjunctivitis were treated in São Paulo. In the same period last year, 25,407 cases were recorded and, in 2020, there were 27,011. In 2019 and 2018, 65,718 and 72,569 attendances were recorded, respectively.

If outbreaks are considered — when there are two or more cases of the disease linked together in a period of 21 days — there were 54 occurrences until October 10, with 173 cases registered in public and private units. In 2021 and 2020, 17 outbreaks were reported, with 52 and 41 cases, and in 2019, 148 outbreaks with 366 cases.

At Hospital de Olhos, the high in cases was 23% in the last quarter, compared to the period from April to June.

For experts, the increase is related to the end of restrictions imposed by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Head of the emergency room at Hospital de Olhos, Pedro Antônio Nogueira Filho explains that relaxing the use of masks and hand hygiene facilitates contamination because people touch their face more with hands contaminated by viruses that cause conjunctivitis.

Marco Cezar Helena, head of the ophthalmology service at Hospital Leforte, Morumbi unit, also points out more crowded environments and the resumption of physical contact as facilitators of transmission.

Sudden changes in temperature and humidity, which make the body more susceptible and facilitate the circulation of microorganisms, are also behind the rise. “In the last 90 days, we went through critical periods, with very low relative humidity and an increase in soot, which favors the spread of viruses”, says Nogueira Filho.

Among the viruses that spread more easily at these times, he highlights the group of adenoviruses, which can cause respiratory infections, gastrointestinal infections and, simultaneously, adenoviral conjunctivitis.

In these situations, one way to differentiate eye irritation common in respiratory infections from conjunctivitis is to check the degree and persistence of symptoms. “Conjunctivitis has a correlation with edema, increased tearing, foreign body sensation and the infection takes up to two weeks”, comments Nogueira Filho.

understand the disease

Conjunctivitis is inflammation of the conjunctiva, the membrane that covers the visible white part of the eyeball.

The disease can be caused by a virus, bacteria or allergy and the main symptoms are: irritation and feeling of sand in the eyes, blurred vision, tearing, red eyes, pain when looking at the light, discharge with pus (bacterial) or watery (viral) ) and swollen eyelids.

Symptoms last from one to two weeks and care varies according to the cause, and it is necessary to consult a doctor to define the treatment. According to the SMS, all basic health units, emergency rooms, emergency services and AMAs (outpatient medical assistance) provide care for patients with symptoms of conjunctivitis and it is possible to find the nearest health unit on the Busca Saúde platform.

In the first symptoms, the fundamental sanitary measures are to wash your hands frequently, avoid scratching your eyes and not share items such as towels, pillowcases and makeup.