STAT October 21, 2024
Her new study shows that a low-cost antiviral reduced the risk of eye disease
It began with a burning pain in her right eye. At first, Elisabeth Cohen thought she’d gotten something in it. But the next day, as she was pushing her hair back on that side of her head, she noticed a blister near the hairline. She knew immediately what it was: shingles.
At the time, in 2008, Cohen was director of the Cornea Service at Wills Eye Hospital in Philadelphia. During her three decades there operating on patients’ eyes, she had seen more than enough to know that the clock was now ticking.
Shingles is caused by the varicella zoster virus, or VZV — the same herpesvirus...