What disease does Bob Costas have?
With all the attention on Bob Costas' red eye during the first week of the Olympic Games, you might have wondered what he had. Well, as Bob himself explained, he had a viral infection in his eye.
So, if you ever experience a situation like Bob Costas did, what should you do? First, visit your eye doctor. "Pink eye" is a term used to describe a type of conjunctivitis, which can be caused by allergies, bacteria, or, in Costas' case, a virus. Seeing a doctor promptly is the best way to determine the cause. Treatment with eye drops can help with allergies and bacterial conjunctivitis, and your eyes should start improving after a few days of treatment.
Unfortunately, Bob Costas had viral conjunctivitis, which tends to last longer and may not completely go away for 2 to 3 weeks. While he returned to TV with improved eyes, they were not yet completely back to normal, and he continued to wear glasses instead of contact lenses. Viral conjunctivitis causes red, itchy, burning, and watery eyes, and they can be very sensitive to light. It often starts in one eye and spreads to the other in a few days. Treatment is limited since it needs time to heal. In severe cases, steroids can help with symptoms but won't speed up recovery.
Here's where Costas made a mistake: viral conjunctivitis is highly contagious, especially in the first 10 to 12 days or as long as the eyes are red. So, by continuing to work, he exposed his colleagues to the virus. If you find yourself in Costas' situation, it's best to stay home, avoid touching your eyes, shaking hands, wash your bedding, and replace eye makeup to prevent reinfection.
Now that we know what was affecting Costas, we can get back to cheering on the athletes.
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| What disease does Bob Costas have? |
