The aim of this study was to explore knowledge, practice of risk and guidelines of the novel corona virus disease (COVID-19) infection among the eye care practitioners and the potential associated factors. A cross-sectional self-administered online survey was distributed via emails and social media networks between 2nd and 18th May 2020 corresponding to the week of the lockdown in Nigeria to eye care practitioners (ECPs). Data for 823 respondents were analyzed. Knowledge and risk practice were categorized as binary outcome and univariate and multivariate linear regression were used to examine the associated factors. The mean score for COVID-19-related knowledge of public health guidelines was high and varied across the ECPs. Ophthalmic Nurses, Ophthalmologists and Optometrists showed higher COVID-19-related knowledge than other ECPs (p < 0.001), particularly those working in the private sector. More than 50% of ECPs stated they provided essential services during the COVID-19 lockdown via physical consultation, particularly the Ophthalmologists. Most respondents reported that the guidelines provided by their Association were useful but expressed their lack of confidence in attending to patients during and after the COVID-19 lockdown. Compared to other ECPs in Nigeria, more Ophthalmic Nurses received training in the use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). This survey is the first to assess knowledge, attitudes and practice in response to the COVID-19 pandemic in Nigeria. ECPs in Nigeria displayed good knowledge about COVID-19 and provided eye care services during the COVID-19 lockdown in Nigeria, despite the majority not receiving any training on the use of PPEs with concerns over attending to patients. There is need for the government to strengthen health systems by improving and extending training on standard infection prevention and control measures to ECPs for effective control of the pandemic and in the future as essential health workers.

School surveys and hospital-based studies on the distribution of eye conditions and diseases have indicated that conjunctivitis, refractive errors, corneal scarring and injuries are some of the major eye conditions affecting Nigerian children. 5,6,7,8,9,10 The prevalence of blindness across all age groups in Cross River State (CRS) in Nigeria, according to the report of the state population-based survey on blindness and visual impairment in 2006, was 0.8%, and 'the major causes of blindness, defined as presenting visual acuity of less than 3/60, were refractive error, Aim: This study assessed the types and prevalence of eye problems among school-age children in Cross River State (CRS), Nigeria. Method:The study design was a cross-sectional analytic survey of 2418 school children aged 6-17 years from seven public and three private schools in CRS, selected using the multistage random sampling technique. Ethical approval was obtained from the Ethical Committee, CRS Ministry of Health, Nigeria. The following tests were carried out on all children enrolled in the study: researcher-administered semi-structured questionnaires, LogMAR visual acuity measurements, external and internal eye examinations, non-cycloplegic auto-refractions, retinoscopy and subjective refractions. Quality assurance was carried out to validate the data collected, and data were analysed using SPSS and EPI info.Results: A total of 2418 school children were enumerated, and 2110 (87.3%) were examined; 1117 (52.9%) were girls, and 1250 (59.2%) were 6-11 years old, while 860 (40.8%) were 12-17 years old, and 77% attended public schools. The majority, 1895 (89.9%) of the children examined, had never had an eye examination. The prevalence of eye diseases among the school children was 32.1%, and the major causes were conjunctivitis 397 (18.8%; confidence interval [CI] 19.2-13.0), refractive error 243 (11.5%; CI 10.2-13.0), glaucoma suspects 52 (2.5%; CI 1.9-3.2), amblyopia 7 (0.3%; CI 0.0-0.7) and corneal opacity 4 (0.2%; CI 0.1-0.5). Analysis using chi-square tests and logistic regression shows a positive higher association of refractive error in private (16.7%) than public schools (9.9%) (crude odds ratio [COR] 1.8150; adjusted odds ratio [AOR] 1.9129, p < 0.001), higher socio-economic status of parents (COR 2.3402, AOR 1.9819, p < 0.001), older age group (COR 1.7258, AOR 1.8202, p < 0.001) and girls (13.1%) versus boys (9.8%) (COR 0.7200, AOR 0.7144, p < 0.001). Conclusion:Physical and eye health examination of children before school entry is strongly recommended. The application of 2 D lens for children who fail a standard visual acuity test should be routine during vision screening to ensure that significant refractive errors are not missed. Visual status and prevalence of eye disorders among school-age children in southern NigeriaRead online:Scan this QR code with your smart phone or mobile device to read online.