The proposed doses of chloroquine (CQ) and hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) for treatment of COVID-19 (1,000 mg/day for 10 days, CQ; 800 mg first day then 400 mg/day for five days, HCQ) in many guidelines worldwide, are considerably higher than the maximum recommended daily safe doses of both agents (≤2.3 mg/kg/day, CQ; ≤5.0 mg/kg/day, HCQ) for development of retinal toxicity. Irreversible retinal damage can occur if the exposure to the safe doses is >5 years. It is not known whether exposure to high doses over a short period of time can also cause the damage.

The authors recommended that before prescribing CQ or HCQ, a history of ocular disease is obtained to avoid the prescription, if appropriate. If either agent is to be used, routine baseline ocular examination is not absolutely necessary. Patients who do not have ocular disease should also be informed about the potential risk of retinal toxicity. Both agents, however, have not yet been proven to be beneficial to COVID-19.

COVID-19 pandemic is now a global threat to human health reaching up to two million infected people all around the world. Since its first recognition in Wuhan, many topics were discussed intensively about COVID-19, both in the public and scientific community. Personal protective equipment and especially masks were among the hottest topics during this pandemic.

Regardless of which mask is used, performing hand hygiene frequently with an alcohol-based hand rub or with soap and water if hands are dirty is the most effective preventive measure for COVID-19. The type of mask used when caring for COVID-19 patients will vary according to the setting, type of personnel/person and activity. Although the main transmission route for COVID-19 is droplets, during aerosol-generating procedures, airborne transmission may occur.

Keeping the distancing when possible, and using medical masks and eye protection during close contact efficiently protects against respiratory diseases transmitted via droplets. Airborne precautions include goggles and respiratory protection with the use of an N95 or an equivalent mask respirator to prevent airborne transmission.

Although current studies have suggested that conjunctivitis is not a common presentation of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), several studies have reported the presence of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) in ocular secretions. As of publishing, coronavirus had not yet been successfully cultured from human tears or conjunctival swabs; neither had it been in SARS-CoV-2 nor SARS-CoV. However, live feline coronavirus has been isolated from conjunctival swabs. In addition, infection of COVID-19 through unprotected eye exposure had been suspected in several articles. Reports of ophthalmologists and otolaryngologists dying of COVID-19 also raised concern on ocular transmission. As a result, the authors strongly suggested that personal protective equipment (PPE) should cover the mouth, nose, and eyes of ophthalmologists, especially when conjunctivitis caused by SARS-CoV-2 is clinically indistinguishable from other viral follicular conjunctivitis.