Impact of COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown on eye emergencies

Abstract

Background: To characterise and compare ocular pathologies presenting to an emergency eye department (EED) during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 against an equivalent period in 2019. Methods: Electronic patient records of 852 patients in 2020 and 1818 patients in 2019, attending the EED at a tertiary eye centre (University Hospitals of Leicester, UK) were analysed. Data was extracted over a 31-day period during: (study period 1 (SP1)) COVID-19 pandemic lockdown in UK (24th March 2020–23rd April 2020) and (study period 2 (SP2)) the equivalent 2019 period (24th March 2019–23rd April 2019). Results: A 53% reduction in EED attendance was noted during lockdown. The top three pathologies accounting for >30% of the caseload were trauma-related, keratitis and uveitis in SP1 in comparison to conjunctivitis, trauma-related and blepharitis in SP2. The overall number of retinal tears and retinal detachments (RD) were lower in SP1, the proportion of macula-off RD’s (84.6%) was significantly ( p = 0.0099) higher in SP1 (vs 42.9% in SP2). Conclusion: COVID-19 pandemic related lockdown has had a significant impact on the range of presenting conditions to the EED. Measures to stop spread of COVID-19 such as awareness of hand hygiene practices, social distancing measures and school closures could have an indirect role in reducing spread of infective conjunctivitis. The higher proportion of macula-off RD and lower number of retinal tears raises possibility of delayed presentation in these cases. Going forward, we anticipate additional pressures on EED and other subspecialty services due to complications and associated morbidity from delayed presentations.

The yearly impact of COVID-19 pandemic on emergency ophthalmic care at a secondary center

“…In specific, overall severe vision-threatening cases have been significantly reduced (145–47) which impose a potential risk for vision loss in the community. This observation comes in agreement with recent reports and highlights the need for proper action [ 6 ]. For the post-COVID era when ophthalmic emergencies could be allocated according to their severity and managed initially even with a phone or video consultation before presentation.…”

Influence of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Admissions for Retinal Detachment in a Tertiary Eye Emergency Department

“…The pandemic led to a significant reduction of daily clinical and surgical activities and a rescheduling of the visits for chronic conditions, as reported by colleagues from different countries. [1][2][3][4] These changes were partially due to the National Health System directives and to the strict restrictions imposed on people's habits and mobility, but also to the patient's fear of getting the infection attending the hospital environment. Thus, a delay in the management of chronic and acute diseases occurred, with negative effects for patients' visual outcomes.…”

Ocular related emergencies in Spain during the COVID-19 pandemic, a multicenter study.

“…This reduction in the number of OE coincides with a publication that studied the number of visits to the ED globally during a similar period in Norway where the reduction of visits varied from 21% to 39% depending on the studied week, 10 and with other publications that described the effects of the pandemic on OE in speci c hospitals where the reduction of visits decreased more than 50%. [11][12][13] . Fear of going to a hospital and exposure to a possible risk of infection appeared to be a critical factor in this decline as other publications suggests.…”