Effect of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Contact Lens Wear in Greece
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Published
Feb 15, 2021
Page:
22-29
Main Article Content
Aristeidis Chandrinos
Department of Biomedical Sciences, Division of Optics and Optometry, Laboratory of Optical Metrology, School of Health and Welfare, University of West Attica, Egaleo Park Campus, Athens, Greece.
Dorotheos-Dimitrios Tzamouranis
Department of Biomedical Sciences, Division of Optics and Optometry, Laboratory of Optical Metrology, School of Health and Welfare, University of West Attica, Egaleo Park Campus, Athens, Greece.
Abstract
Purpose: This study demonstrates the actions that took over the contact lens (CL) wearers in Greece after the COVID-19 pandemic.
Methods: The study includes nameless web-based survey used to measure participants demographics, CL wear history, and custom wear activity of CL in a stage of noticeable risk of infection due to CL wear during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Results: During the lockdown A’ in Greece about half of the participants (42.5%) believe that the perception risk of infection using CL was extremely effective (29%) and very effective (13.5%). Only a minority (18 %) of the participants do believe that the use of CL increases the risk of COVID-19 infection. Another population (43%) do not agree with this opinion and more than a third of them (39%) resemble that are not affected by this opinion or are less informed.
Conclusion: This study presents the likelihood of reducing or ceasing the use of CLs during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown and a relationship between the perceived risk of infection and CL use. There was also a predisposition to alter the frequency of CL wear. All eye care practitioners should give more advice to their patients that continue to wear CL and assist them to act in accordance with the new rules of handling and in favour of occasional CL wear.
Keywords:
Public health, COVID-19 pandemic, infection risk, contact lenses, eye care.
Article Details
How to Cite
Section
Original Research Article
References
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Available:http://doi.org/10.4103/ijo.IJO_1827_20
Sadhu S, Agrawal R, Pyare R, Pavesio C, Zierhut M, Khatri A, et al. COVID-19: Limiting the risks for eye care professionals. Ocul Immunol Inflamm 20. 2020;1–7, Available:https://doi.org/10.1080/09273948.2020.1755442.
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Wu P, Duan F, Luo C, Liu Q, Qu X, Liang L, et al. Characteristics of ocular findings of patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Hubei Province, China, JAMA Ophthalmol 31. 2020;201291. Available:https://doi.org/10.1001/jamaophthalmol.2020.1291
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DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.12103797.v3
Arora R, Goel R, Kumar S, et al. Evaluation of SARS-CoV-2 in tears of patients with moderate to severe COVID-19. Ophthalmology. 2020;0161-6420(20)30847-2. Available:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ophtha.2020.08.029
Tzamouranis, Dorotheos Dimitrios, Chandrinos, Aristeidis. Questionnaire on the data set Covid-19 infection and the contact lens wearers: Lockdown A' (23 March- 4 May 2020), Greece. Mendeley Data. 2020;2.
Available:http://dx.doi.org/10.17632/26p3kym3cm.2
Tzamouranis, Dorotheos-Dimitrios, Chandrinos, Aristeidis. Dataset on the questionnaire-based survey of the perceived risk scale of COVID-19 infection and contact lens (CL) wearers. Mendeley Data. 2020;1.
Available:http://dx.doi.org/10.17632/xbphjxbk9p.1
Jones L, Walsh K, Willcox M, Morgan P, Nichols J, The COVID-19 pandemic: Important considerations for contact lens practitioners, Cont Lens Anterior Eye; 2020. Available:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clae.2020.03.012.
Salducci M, Torre La G. COVID-19 emergency in the cruise’s ship: A case report of conjunctivitis, Clin Ter 171. 2020;189–191. Available:https://doi.org/10.7417/CT.2020.2212.
Fonn D, Jones L. Hand hygiene is linked to microbial keratitis and corneal in flammatory events, cont Lens Anterior Eye 42. 2019;132–135.
Available:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clae.2018.10.022.
Lai THT, Tang EWH, Fung KSC, Li KKW. Reply to Does hand hygiene reduce (14) SARS-CoV-2 transmission?. Graefes Arch Clin Exp Ophthalmol. 2020;258(5):1135. Available:https://doi.org/10.1007/s00417-020-04653-4
Vianya-Estopa M, Wolffsohn JS, Beukes E, Trott M, Smith L, Allen PM. Soft contact lens wearers' compliance during the COVID-19 pandemic. Cont Lens Anterior Eye. 20201367-0484(20):30155-7.
Available:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clae.2020.08.003
Efron N, Morgan PB. Rethinking contact lens aftercare, Clin Exp Optom. 2017;100: 411–431.
Available:https://doi.org/10.1111/cxo.12588.
Nuzzi R, Carucci LL, Tripoli F. COVID-19 and ocular implications: An update. J Ophthalmic Inflamm Infect. 2020;10(1):20.
Available:https://doi.org/10.1186/s12348-020-00212-4
Robertson DM, Cavanagh HD. Non-compliance with contact lens wear and care practices: A comparative analysis, Optom Vis Sci. 2011;88:1402–1408.
Available:https://doi.org/10.1097/OPX.0b013e3182333cf9.
Canals M, Cuadrado C, Canals A, et al. Epidemic trends, public health response and health system capacity: The Chilean experience in four months of the COVID-19 pandemic. Rev Panam Salud Publica. 2020;44:99.
Available:https://doi.org/10.26633/RPSP.2020.99
Orsborn G, Dumbleton K. Eye care professionals’ perceptions of the benefits of daily disposable silicone hydrogel contact lenses. Cont Lens Anterior Eye. 2019;42:373–379. Available:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clae.2019.02.012.
Available:https://www.who.int/dg/speeches/detail/who-director-general-s-opening-remarks-at-themedia- briefing-on-covid-19-11-march-2020.
Diego García-Ayuso, et al. Contact lens and anterior eye.
Available:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clae.2020.07.002 (in press)
Cozzi G, Zanchi C, Giangreco M, et al. The impact of the COVID-19 lockdown in Italy on a paediatric emergency setting. Acta Paediatr. 2020;10:1111/apa.15454.
Available:http://doi.org/10.1111
Turakhia S, Saoji Y, Goyal A, et al. COVID-19 guidelines for optometry and optical services post-lockdown. Indian J Ophthalmol. 2020;68(8):1533-1539.
Available:http://doi.org/10.4103/ijo.IJO_1827_20
Sadhu S, Agrawal R, Pyare R, Pavesio C, Zierhut M, Khatri A, et al. COVID-19: Limiting the risks for eye care professionals. Ocul Immunol Inflamm 20. 2020;1–7, Available:https://doi.org/10.1080/09273948.2020.1755442.
Q&A on COVID-19, European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control; 2020. Available:https://www.ecdc.europa.eu/en/novel-coronaviruschina/questions-answers.
Cuan W Lu, Liu XF, Jia ZF. 2019-nCoV transmission through the ocular surface must not be ignored, Lancet 395. 2020;39. Available:https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(20)30313-5
Wu P, Duan F, Luo C, Liu Q, Qu X, Liang L, et al. Characteristics of ocular findings of patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Hubei Province, China, JAMA Ophthalmol 31. 2020;201291. Available:https://doi.org/10.1001/jamaophthalmol.2020.1291
Chandrinos A, Tzamouranis DD. The pandemic of COVID-19 and the Use of contact lenses. Asian Journal of Research and Reports in Ophthalmology. 2020; 3(1):24-30.
DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.12103797.v3
Arora R, Goel R, Kumar S, et al. Evaluation of SARS-CoV-2 in tears of patients with moderate to severe COVID-19. Ophthalmology. 2020;0161-6420(20)30847-2. Available:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ophtha.2020.08.029
Tzamouranis, Dorotheos Dimitrios, Chandrinos, Aristeidis. Questionnaire on the data set Covid-19 infection and the contact lens wearers: Lockdown A' (23 March- 4 May 2020), Greece. Mendeley Data. 2020;2.
Available:http://dx.doi.org/10.17632/26p3kym3cm.2
Tzamouranis, Dorotheos-Dimitrios, Chandrinos, Aristeidis. Dataset on the questionnaire-based survey of the perceived risk scale of COVID-19 infection and contact lens (CL) wearers. Mendeley Data. 2020;1.
Available:http://dx.doi.org/10.17632/xbphjxbk9p.1
Jones L, Walsh K, Willcox M, Morgan P, Nichols J, The COVID-19 pandemic: Important considerations for contact lens practitioners, Cont Lens Anterior Eye; 2020. Available:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clae.2020.03.012.
Salducci M, Torre La G. COVID-19 emergency in the cruise’s ship: A case report of conjunctivitis, Clin Ter 171. 2020;189–191. Available:https://doi.org/10.7417/CT.2020.2212.
Fonn D, Jones L. Hand hygiene is linked to microbial keratitis and corneal in flammatory events, cont Lens Anterior Eye 42. 2019;132–135.
Available:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clae.2018.10.022.
Lai THT, Tang EWH, Fung KSC, Li KKW. Reply to Does hand hygiene reduce (14) SARS-CoV-2 transmission?. Graefes Arch Clin Exp Ophthalmol. 2020;258(5):1135. Available:https://doi.org/10.1007/s00417-020-04653-4
Vianya-Estopa M, Wolffsohn JS, Beukes E, Trott M, Smith L, Allen PM. Soft contact lens wearers' compliance during the COVID-19 pandemic. Cont Lens Anterior Eye. 20201367-0484(20):30155-7.
Available:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clae.2020.08.003
Efron N, Morgan PB. Rethinking contact lens aftercare, Clin Exp Optom. 2017;100: 411–431.
Available:https://doi.org/10.1111/cxo.12588.
Nuzzi R, Carucci LL, Tripoli F. COVID-19 and ocular implications: An update. J Ophthalmic Inflamm Infect. 2020;10(1):20.
Available:https://doi.org/10.1186/s12348-020-00212-4
Robertson DM, Cavanagh HD. Non-compliance with contact lens wear and care practices: A comparative analysis, Optom Vis Sci. 2011;88:1402–1408.
Available:https://doi.org/10.1097/OPX.0b013e3182333cf9.
Canals M, Cuadrado C, Canals A, et al. Epidemic trends, public health response and health system capacity: The Chilean experience in four months of the COVID-19 pandemic. Rev Panam Salud Publica. 2020;44:99.
Available:https://doi.org/10.26633/RPSP.2020.99
Orsborn G, Dumbleton K. Eye care professionals’ perceptions of the benefits of daily disposable silicone hydrogel contact lenses. Cont Lens Anterior Eye. 2019;42:373–379. Available:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clae.2019.02.012.