Pandemic-related Issues Discussed in the New Contact Lens Update

The Issue 63 of Contact Lens Update, published by CORE, dives into exploring the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on five clinically relevant ocular conditions.

It focuses on summarizing and examining the highly relevant points for eye care practitioners, like how to wear a mask, home schooling and remote working that may impact the patients. It also pays attention to the clinical practices and potential prevention and mitigation approaches.

Dr. Lyndon Jones, Director of CORE, gives a review of the five possible pandemic related ocular related complications. This includes the increasing cases of myopia and dry eye complaints that have increased due to the excessive use of digital devices. Also, is discussed the topic of how wearing a mask has led to the increase in the rates of hordeolum and chalazion, dry eye and dissatisfaction with spectacle wear.

In the article, Rosa Yang of CORE, discusses the key findings from a paper that researches on the progression of myopia in the large sample of school aged children after COVID-29 home confinement in Chine. Since remote learning and education is still being implemented in some countries for the safety of the children, these findings would be helpful and be of interest to any of the eye practitioners who want to examine young children and are employing or considering myopia management,

The last two pieces pays attention to the impact that wearing masks has on the ocular surface and the issue of it fogging the spectacles. The associate director of Eurolens Research at the University of Manchester, Carole Maldonado-Codina, also investigates further the preferences of the patients when it comes to wearing spectacles or contact lenses while wearing masks.

Another case study by the clinical director at Tompkins Knight & Sons Optometrists in the U.K., Keyur Patel, finds the impact of inappropriate mask-wear on the break-up time of tears over the ocular surface. He also provides a relevant and timely advice on how this could lead to the increase in the symptoms of dry eyes that patients may not even link to when using their masks.

“Almost exactly two years after the first reports of a deadly respiratory illness started to emerge out of China, the pandemic continues to dominate our daily lives,” said Dr. Jones. “These changes include children being educated at home, adults working remotely, an increase in digital device use, and mask wearing and social distancing become widespread globally. 

“How do these factors impact our eyes? Modifications to our daily lives appear to have a much greater impact than we could have imagined. Contact Lens Update has consolidated and examined the most pronounced changes in detail using an evidence-based approach to provide practitioners with sound, timely clinical advice on how to look for and manage related complications.”

The publication receives support from the educational arms of Alcon, CooperVision, and Johnson & Johnson Vision.