A Simple Eye Test May Help Detect COVID-19

Your eyes can tell a lot about your health, including whether you have COVID-19. Yes, you heard it right. Soon, a simple eye test may help detect the contagious viral disease. An Israeli company has developed a device that can detect when a "virus layer" is present in the eye. The company Advanced Optical Methods (AdOM) announced on Thursday that it is conducting a study to determine whether its Tear Film Imager (TFI) device can "effectively diagnose and determine Covid-19 in a fast, affordable, non-invasive assessment of the eye's tear film." A tear film is formed when you blink. It is a thin fluid layer covering the ocular surface. The tear film comprises three layers an oil (lipid) layer, a water (aqueous) layer and a mucin layer together they protect the ocular surface from potentially pathogenic microbes, promote wound healing, maintain eye comfort and visual function. Tear Film Imager for COVID-19 diagnosis According to AdOM, the TFI device is designed to simultaneously measure the mucins -- proteins that hydrate the tear ducts -- and the lipid sub-layers of the eye that prevent the eyes from drying out due to evaporation. It can provide a detailed assessment of the health of the tear film sub-layers within just 40 seconds, as well as detect when a "virus layer" is present in the eye and can quantify it. Earlier, a concept study at Wolfson Medical Center had shown that it can correctly identify corona in patients at the same rate as a PCR test, Jerusalem Post reported. The new study will observe the use of the TFI in comparison to PCR diagnostic testing on a larger scale, involving 500 patients. The study is expected to take a month to complete, the report said.If proven to have a high correlation to the PCR, the TFI device could be used as a point of diagnostic care at airports, sporting arenas and businesses to identify COVID infected people, said AdOM CTO Raanan Gefen.