Pinkeye (conjunctivitis) is a rare reported symptom of Swine Flu. It is highly unlikely to be the initial symptom of Swine Flu so rest easy if you have pink eye, it is probably a simple viral or bacterial eye infection easily amendable to treatment.
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That for sure just happened to me. I had every symptom of the swine flu and went home, and then about 4 days into it, I started showing symptoms of pink eye. The strangest thing is that I also live in Fort Collins, and I just google searched “pink eye and swine flu” and sure enough it came up in Fort Collins. So is it a viral infection, or should I try to go to the doctor to get prescribed an antibacterial?
Author
Hi Tanya,
The current swine flu strain has not seen significant reports of pinkeye but I’m sure it is occurring occasionally. If pinkeye occurs along with flu like symptoms there is a good chance it is viral and will go away in about a week. Any eye that has discharge that is not clear, sticks together in the morning, and is painful or blurry needs to be seen. Some viral infections that are less common can last for months, even a year. These usually will cause discomfort and a reduction in vision that leads people to seek care. Herpes viral infections can cause blindness if not treated-so not all viral infections are innocuous. There has been a trend the last five years or so to not treat most mild viral infection with antibiotics, in the eye or in the body as in a cold. Practitioners have become concerned with creating mutations and creating antibiotic resistant bugs. Personally, I almost always treat viral eye infection with an antibiotic and an anti-inflammatory drop. I am not convinced using antibiotics in the manner prescribed is significant in antibiotic resistance. I believe the massive routine dosing of farm animals with antibiotics worldwide and the inconsistent and inadequate dosing levels used in under developed countries is the primary factor in bacterial resistance. Treating viral eye infections with antibiotics prevents secondary bacterial infections and the anti-inflammatory drops make your eyes feel much less irritated. Of course the end result is usually the same, it goes away in about a week. -Hope You Are Feeling Better.
I have swine flu and now two days later developed pink eye. Can I go to work like this or am I still contagious?
Author
Hi Heather,
Stay Home! The conjunctivitis may not be from the same virus but it could be. It is fairly difficult to spread this way but you don’t want to be the person responsible for spreading what can be a deadly virus around work. Be diligent in hand washing and don’t share bath towels with anyone else. Fortunately, most H1N1 virus is transmitted by coughs and sneezes that spread it into the air; direct contact and secondary contact with contaminated surfaces do not seem to be as common sources of infections.
Best WIshes