Introduction: Dry eye is a multifactorial disease that is related to the use of electronic devices. During the COVID- 19 pandemic confinement, distance learning was adopted, which may have increased the frequency of use of these devices in college students, which could increase the risk of having dry eye symptoms.Objective: To describe the symptoms of dry eye and the frequency of screen use reported by 5th year students of the Medical School of the Universidad Abierta Interamericana (UAI)- Sede Rosario, during the COVID-19 pandemic period (2020-2021).Materials and methods: Quantitative, observational, retrospective, cross-sectional, descriptive design. Carried out in the UAI during the months of January to June 2023. The population consisted of all the students in the 5th year in the 1st four-month period of the Medicine Career, in the year 2023. The sampling was non-probabilistic by convenience. A virtual survey consisting of 9 closed and multiple-choice questions was applied. The variables were analyzed by means of absolute and relative percentage frequencies.Results: A total of 80 students were surveyed, of whom 72% were female and 28% male, with a mean age of 26.12 ± 7.91 years (min: 20; max: 40). Ninety-five percent were regular users of electronic devices prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. Ninety-nine percent reported an increase in hours of electronic device use by an average of 5.57 ± 2.03 hours per day. During the COVID-19 pandemic, students reported symptoms such as dry eye sensation, burning, itching, irritation, tearing, and increased blinking. Forty percent had some impairment in reading on digital screens and 28% had discomfort when watching TV or using electronic devices with screens.Conclusions: The student population surveyed reported increased use of electronic devices with screens during the COVID-19 pandemic, reporting dry eye sensation, burning, itching, irritation, tearing, and increased blinking. Women under 30 years of age reported the highest frequency of dry eye symptoms
