THE EFFECT OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC ON EYE PRACTICES IN PORTUGAL

In 2020 we faced the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in Portugal. In March 2020, the first lockdown was realized, followed by several ones to stop the spread of the virus. This situation has affected patients' visual needs and complaints, impacting eye practices and remaining essential care for emergency and priority cases. This study reports the type of visits realized during 2020 in Portugal, population habits, and eye complaints regarding visual health in the COVID-19 pandemic.

 Clínica Oftalmológica J. Salgado Borges

An email invitation to an online cross-sectional survey was sent to patients from ophthalmology clinics and optical practices in Portugal from September to November 2020. Answers to the questionnaire were analysed using statistical analysis.

833 respondents based in Portugal participated with valid anonymous responses, females 551 (66.1%), and males 282 (33.8%). More than half of the population (54%) identified a lot of discomforts caused by increasing dry eye symptoms according to more intense digital work and lens fogging up when using masks. 90% of the respondents used digital devices at least 3 hours on average per day, and 33% started using digital devices more than 8 hours on average per day. 44% of respondents felt that their near vision had worsened in these periods. The most frequent refractive problem was ametropia, astigmatism (47%) and myopia (43%). The first major symptom of presbyopia was difficulty reading smaller letters; 90% had the first symptoms at the age of 40. 298 respondents had children under 16 years, and 87% were concerned for their children's visual health, and 90.3% thought they could identify myopia symptoms in their children. More than 90% identified screens as a risk factor for myopia development; however, only 55% stated the importance of limiting the use of these devices. For parents, having good eyesight (79.5%) was the most valued aspect of their children's lives. 

The findings provide an idea of the challenges during COVID-19 for eye practices. In a society highly dependent on vision, it is essential to focus on signs and symptoms that lead to ophthalmologic conditions. The excessive use of digital devices and masks during this pandemic has aggravated some of the clinics. The results are important as a point of reference to plan efficient eye care in similar situations.