Revisiting the dangers of the coronavirus in the ophthalmology practice

Every year, during the Lunar New Year, the largest human migration in the world occurs in China. Almost 3 billion passenger-journeys are made as travellers reunite with distant families [ 1 ]. This year, things are different. The recent emergence of a novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV), which caused an outbreak of viral pneumonia in Wuhan, China, has led to three Chinese cities; Wuhan, Huanggang, Ezhou, placed under lockdown to curb transmission. The 2019-nCoV has sparked global concern regarding the likelihood of the epidemic turning out like the 2003 Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (SARS-CoV), where more than 8000 people were infected with 774 mortalities [ 2 ]. Healthcare workers represented 20% of the infected [ 2 ]. The 2019-nCoV serves as a reminder of the potential dangers posed by coronaviruses to both patients and doctors alike.