COVID-19 and the Prevalence of Reactive Tests in Three Eye Banks

Authors

Ellen Heck, BS, ASCP, MA
Patricia Dahl, BS, CEBT
Chris Hanna, MBA, CEBT
Valerie Corder, BSN, RN, JD, CTBS
Matthew Petroll, PhD
Dwight Cavanaugh, MD, PhD

Abstract

COVID-19, the virus that causes the acute severe respiratory syndrome, has dominated the global healthcare industry for most of 2020 . It has affected elective surgery, corneal donation and corneal transplantation surgery. This report of testing results from three eye banks across the country—east coast, central and west coast—demonstrates the ratio of reactive versus non-reactive cornea donors over an eight-month period in 625 collective donor tests. The ratio of all reactive tests to total tests is 0.02%, indicating an effective screening process and a minimal risk of transmission to cornea transplant recipients from donated ocular tissue.