SARS-CoV-2 infection of ocular cells from human adult donor eyes and hESC-derived ocular lineages, Eriksen et al

The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has resulted in an unparalleled disruption of global behavior and a significant loss of life. To minimize SARS-CoV-2 spread, understanding the mechanisms of infection from all possible routes of entry is essential. While aerosol transmission is thought to be the primary route of spread, we assessed the eyes as an alternative point of entry. To this end, we confirmed expression of SARS-CoV-2 entry factors in post-mortem ocular surface tissue and productive viral replication in eye organoid cultures, most notably the limbus. Transcriptional analysis of ex vivo infected ocular surface cells and eye organoids revealed a robust induction of NF-κB in infected cells as well as diminished type-I/III interferon signaling. Together these data suggest that the eye can be directly infected by SARS-CoV-2 and implicates limbus as a portal for viral entry.