The impact of Covid-19 on eye-health

The Covid-19 pandemic finally seems to be achieving a controlled state but its effects on different systems of our body still continue to haunt us in both direct and indirect ways. 
To talk about the impact of Covid-19 on the human body we decided to obtain guidance from Dr Chamila Dissanayake, Registrar in Ophthalmology.
Eyes are a vital organ of our body and losing their optimal function can undoubtedly bring down the quality of life of a person.
“Although the evidence on ocular transmission (eye-to-eye) of Novel Corona virus is not established well, mucous membranes, which line various body cavities and organs including the respiratory tract are most susceptible to viruses in general,” says Dr Dissanayake.
Therefore the surface of eyes and inner eyelids which are also lined by mucous membrane known as conjunctiva are susceptible to get infected if droplets, contaminated with viral content, land on your eyes. Also, researches done so far suggest that the virus can possibly be transmitted by aerosol when come into contact with conjunctiva.
In simpler terms, a person can acquire an eye infection with Novel Corona virus if they touch a contaminated surface and then touch their eye. The virus can also enter the eye following a cough or sneeze (through air borne droplets) from a person carrying the virus.
“SARS-CoV-2 virus is found to be directly associated with a range of eye related problems including conjunctivitis (pink-eye), episcleritis, uveitis, lacrimal gland inflammation, changes to the retina and optic nerve which can even end up in complete or partial loss of vision. ” 
According Ceylon Eye Care Optometric Association (CECOA), the number of people who are visually impaired in Sri Lanka is high when compared to other countries in the region.
Making the matters worse, people sticking to the work-from-home concept, staring at digital screens for hours, during the lock down period, paved the way to predispose poor vision and aggravate already established conditions like myopia. Also prolonged screen-time reduces the blinking rate which can result in dry eyes.
“This behavioral pattern of school-going children has created a definite upsurge of eye-defects among the said age group where they tend to end up in clinics most of the time with unsettling headaches” underscores Dr Dissanayake.
World Health Organization’s 2019 guidelines suggest no screen time at all for children before age 1 and very limited screen time for children for several years after that.   Moreover, limited access to health care facilities and disrupted regular clinic follow-ups had created a considerable impact on the eye health of individuals during the lock-down period. This mainly affected patients with progressively worsening vision problems, glaucoma and chronic diseases like diabetes with possible eye complications if not followed up regularly.
Some experts suggest that preventive measures against the pandemic including surgical masks, face shields, goggles, sanitizers and frequent hand washing have made people less prone to get eye infections. 
“In spite all these, difficult times have reversed up-to a certain extent by now which will result in a comparatively better out-come, in days to come and until then it is your responsibility to keep your eyes in check and seek professional advice when necessary” Dr Dissanayake concludes.