EYE CARE DURING COVID-19: ESSENTIAL INFORMATION 1 TO 4
by: Dr. Yong Meng Hsien
Department of Ophthalmology, UKM Medical Centre
Published online: 18 Nov 2020
In view of the impact of the COVID-19 and movement control order (MCO), many eye patients or people with new problem in the eyes may not be able to receive appropriate information, diagnosis and treatment. We are worried that this period of time, some people with eye problem may become worse or otherwise being exposed to unnecessary risk of COVID-19 infection when they visit clinic/hospital. It is hoped that the information here on eye care during the period of COVID-19 can be shared to those with relevant needs. Thank you.
1. COVID-19 VIRUS CAN SPREAD THROUGH THE EYES
Aerosol/droplet-to-eye contact OR hand-to-eye contact serves as a source of COVID-19 spread. Please avoid touching your eyes (also nose and mouth) with unwashed hand. This is also one of the reason face shield/goggle use is recommended as personal protection equipment for close contact.
Contact lens wearers should continue to practise good hygiene habits to prevent against transmission of infections e.g. wash hands with soap and water before and after handling lenses. Please consider substituting glasses for contact lenses to reduce touching the eyes.
2. CONJUNCTIVITIS (PINK EYE) IS A POSSIBLE SIGN OF COVID-19 INFECTION
COVID-19 related conjunctivitis may cause virus shedding during/before/after the onset of pink eye (but have not been proven). If you have pink eye with COVID-19 related risk/contact/respiratory symptoms, then will need to rule out COVID-19 infection, so please present yourself to healthcare setting equipped with eye care and COVID care. Most importantly please report your risk/contact/respiratory symptoms to the health care frontliner during the visit.
Pink eye itself is a very common eye disease and usually self-limiting, if you have no COVID-19 related risk/contact/respiratory symptoms, you may do self-observation, or trial of over-the-counter lubrication eye drops, or visit nearest general clinic for antibiotic eyedrops or consultation (to reduce the risk of COVID exposure in hospital setting).
3. EYE CLINIC APPOINTMENT: DURING/RIGHT AFTER MCO
Your eye clinic appointment, if not urgent, most likely will be rescheduled to reduce risk of virus spread. Your doctor-in-charge will decide on the new date depends on different cases, and they can prescribe necessary medications for you to continue until the new appointment date (methods to obtain the medications will be informed by the respective centre).
IF you do not receive any call from your hospital/doctor, please give a call to them before the appointment date to check whether new appointment has been given (in case you were uncontactable).
IF you have been given a new appointment BUT you have new or worsening of eye problem especially vision problem, please recheck with your eye doctor by calling or visit.
IF you have not been given a new clinic appointment AND you feel that your eyes are well/improving, please try to check with your eye doctor whether need to reschedule new visit.
This can be either because your number was uncontactable, or you need to continue active treatment (e.g. laser or eye injection) to prevent worsening of vision or adjustment of treatment (e.g. tapering/stopping of medication) to prevent prolonged use/side effect.
IF you have or have not been given a new clinic appointment, and you are using eye medications that your doctor had instructed you to continue, but the medications are going to finish, please call the doctor for further guidance (avoid going to hospital with risk). If clinic visit was told unnecessary, please ask for options to obtain the medications by post, driving-thru, take-N-go or medical locker etc.
4. NEW EYE PROBLEM: DURING/RIGHT AFTER MCO
Urgent cases e.g. reduce/loss/new & progressive disturbance of vision, severe painful red eye, severe eye injury or new eye problem with recent eye surgery, please get your eye doctor’s consultation as soon as possible. This is also applied to those with COVID-19 related risk/contact/respiratory symptoms, people doing self-isolation, or even people with confirmed COVID-19 infection
, please inform and obtain eye doctor’s advice if you have urgent eye problem as mentioned (please disclose your COVID risk to frontliner during the visit).
Non urgent cases especially those without vision problem, can consider doing self-observation, trial of over-the-counter eye medications, or visit nearest general clinic for consultation. However, if there is not improvement after days/week or is worsening, please obtain further advise from doctor.
Certain cases without vision problem/eye pain/eye redness will still need to attend their eye clinic visit on-time, please follow the advice of your primary doctor (eye or general doctor), e.g. patients with high risk diabetic eye diseases (diabetes in pregnancy or those required laser treatment), patients with eye cancer, or patients just started on eye injection treatment who was told to repeat injection.
Most importantly, please stay healthy and protect your eyes at home. Thank you and hope it helps.