Early impact of COVID-19 outbreak on eye care: Insights from EUROCOVCAT group

Toro, Mario Damiano; Brézin, Antoine P.; Burdon, Michael; Cummings, Arthur; Kemer, Özlem Evren; Malyugin, Boris; Prieto, Isabel; Teus, Miguel A.; Daniele, Tognetto; Törnblom, Riikka; Posarelli, Chiara; Chorągiewicz, Tomasz; Ręjdak, Robert

doi:10.1177/1120672120960339

Cited by 95 publications

(116 citation statements)

References 28 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

111

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…Several authors have discussed the ethical impact of the pandemic on delivering treatments to patients in need since the beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak. 22 , 23 Concerns regarding delivering care to cancer patients were the most commonly addressed. 24 Cancer patients are usually immunocompromised and at higher risk of adverse outcomes associated with COVID-19 infection.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Delayed Intravitreal Anti-VEGF Therapy for Patients During the COVID-19 Lockdown: An Ethical Endeavor

Elfalah¹,

AlRyalat²,

Toro³

et al. 2021

OPTH

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Purpose To assess the impact of Jordanian’s Corona Virus Disease (COVID-19) lockdown on visual acuity and macular thickness in patients with macular edema receiving intravitreal injections, and to assess the ethical endeavor of lockdown among serious sight threatening conditions. Patients and Methods This retrospective observational study included patients planned for intravitreal injections who did not complete the planned course before the lockdown (ie, before 20th of March 2020). Data included demographics, indication for the intravitreal injection, corrected distance visual acuity (CDVA), and central macular thickness on Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) before and after the lockdown. Results One-hundred and sixty-six eyes of 125 patients were studied, 68 (54.4%) patients were males, and the mean (± standard deviation, SD) age was 64.79 (±9.41) years. Mean (±SD) duration of delay in the planned injection was 60.97 (±24.35) days. The change in visual acuity was statistically significant for patients with diabetic macular edema (p= 0.045 improvement), patients with central retinal vein thrombosis (CRVO) (p= 0.05 deterioration), and patients with age-related macular degeneration (AMD) (p= 0.005 deterioration). Of interest, delay of more than 2 months and the previous need for 3 or more injections were significant poor prognostic factors for visual outcome for patients with diabetic macular edema (p=0.027 and 0.045). Conclusion The impact of delay in the scheduled intravitreal injections resulted in variable outcomes depending on the indication. Triaging the urgency of patients should be based on the indication to support the equity principle of bioethics, where those in need are prioritized against others, depending on potential adverse outcome.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Delayed Intravitreal Anti-VEGF Therapy for Patients During the COVID-19 Lockdown: An Ethical Endeavor

Elfalah¹,

AlRyalat²,

Toro³

et al. 2021

OPTH

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Unprotected eyes may be associated with an increased risk of transmission of SARS CoV-2, so that appropriate use of personal protective equipment becomes necessary [4,5]. For this reason, the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic resulted in a temporary halt in all elective ophthalmic surgeries for the protection of patients and healthcare professionals [6][7][8]. On the other hand, with the aging of the population and innovations in treatment, the demand for cataract surgery has been steadily increasing over the past 2 decades, thus addressing the need for critical protective strategies at this time of the COVID-19 pandemic [9].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ocular Involvement of SARS-CoV-2 in a Polish Cohort of COVID-19-Positive Patients

Dolar-Szczasny

Toro

Dworzańska

et al. 2021

IJERPH

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 responsible for the current human COVID-19 pandemic has shown tropism toward different organs with variable efficiency, eyes included. The purpose of this study has been to investigate the presence of detectable SARS-CoV-2 infection in ocular swabs in patients affected by COVID-19. A consecutive series of 74 COVID-19-positive patients (age 21–89) were enrolled at two Polish COVID-19 hospitals for 4 months and were characterized by PCR for the presence of the SARS-CoV-2 genetic material in nasopharyngeal (NP) and ocular swabs, while their respiratory and ocular symptoms were noted. Almost 50% of them presented with severe/critical respiratory involvement, and some degree of eye disease. No tight correlation was observed between the presence of ocular and respiratory symptoms. Three male patients presenting with severe/critical lung disease tested positive in ocular swab, however with mild/moderate ocular symptoms. In conclusion, our study lends further support to the view that overt ocular infection by the SARS-CoV-2 virus is not such a frequent occurrence.

show abstract

“…Patients and ophthalmologists are witnessing this trend that needs to revert; otherwise, this process could lead to a dramatic increase in disability, with an increase in social and government costs. 33 , 34 …”

Section: Covid-19 Pandemicmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Year of Living Dangerously: Challenges and Recommendations for Safely Performing Ophthalmic Surgery During the COVID-19 Pandemic, from Start to Finish

Salica¹,

Potilinski²,

Querci³

et al. 2021

OPTH

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The COVID-19 pandemic has forced all nations to take an active role in infection control incorporating recommendations and measures to control viral dissemination. The epidemiological impact is very diverse and dynamic, even within the same region. Scientific knowledge regarding SARS-CoV-2 continues to improve every day with protocols needing to be updated and adjusted on a regular basis. Ophthalmology is a medical specialty identified to be at high risk for several reasons: it has very close doctor-patient contact, the virus has been detected in tears, and the ocular surface serves as a gateway to developing the infection. We have reviewed the current information on SARS-CoV-2 in the ophthalmologic field and provide up-to-date recommendations to help create protocols that can adapt to the dynamic situation of ophthalmologic institutions, patient cases, economic situations and access to diagnostic tests. This paper outlines the main recommendations regarding the initial consultation and outpatient clinics, measures to apply in the operating room (OR), and suggestions for post-surgical controls. Triage, according to the patient's conditions and eye pathology, reduction of the time the patient is at the institution, social distancing, correct use of personal protective equipment (PPE), barrier methods, hygiene, as well as other recommendations mentioned in this document, will allow physicians to take care of the visual health of the patients while reducing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

show abstract

Early impact of COVID-19 outbreak on eye care: Insights from EUROCOVCAT group

Cited by 95 publications

References 28 publications

Delayed Intravitreal Anti-VEGF Therapy for Patients During the COVID-19 Lockdown: An Ethical Endeavor

Delayed Intravitreal Anti-VEGF Therapy for Patients During the COVID-19 Lockdown: An Ethical Endeavor

Ocular Involvement of SARS-CoV-2 in a Polish Cohort of COVID-19-Positive Patients

A Year of Living Dangerously: Challenges and Recommendations for Safely Performing Ophthalmic Surgery During the COVID-19 Pandemic, from Start to Finish

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About