Managing medical conditions of the ocular surface during the COVID-19 epidemic
Dermot McGrath
Published: Wednesday, April 1, 2020
- Acute conjunctivitis
- Infectious/inflammatory/trophic keratitis and keratoconjunctivitis
- Follow-up of abscess and unhealed corneal ulcer: consult to maintain usual follow-up
- Any recurrent corneal disease (e.g. herpes, shingles, keratalgia, marginal ulcer etc.) and calm at the last check-up:
- for simple control follow-up: postpone
- symptoms suggestive of recurrence (redness/pain/visual acuity loss/photophobia): consult
- Allergic pathologies
- “Benign” forms (seasonal or perennial conjunctivitis) and calm at the last check up: postpone (+/- send crisis treatment order by mail)
- “Severe” forms (vernal keratoconjunctivitis, or atopic) and under control at the last check up
- Stable symptoms: postpone
- Photophobia/visual acuity loss/redness/eye pain: consult
- Dry eye
- Light to moderate forms: postpone
- Severe forms (ocular graft-versus-host disease, Goujerot-Sjögren syndrome, known major keratopathy):
- Stable symptoms: postpone
- Photophobia / AVB / redness / eye pain: consult
- Contact lenses
- Renewal: postpone (+/- renew prescription by mail, if disposable lenses)
- Photophobia/visual acuity loss/redness/eye pain: consult
- Follow-up of corneal surgery
- Long-term follow-up, in a priori stable period for the next 2-3 months: postpone
- Recent surgery and/or patient at risk of complication of post-operative treatments (ex: ocular hypertonia on corticosteroids): consult