TY - JOUR
T1 - The Impact of COVID-19 on Individuals Across the Spectrum of Visual Impairment
AU - Shalaby, Wesam S.
AU - Odayappan, Annamalai
AU - Venkatesh, Rengaraj
AU - Swenor, Bonnielin K.
AU - Ramulu, Pradeep Y.
AU - Robin, Alan L.
AU - Srinivasan, Kavitha
AU - Shukla, Aakriti Garg
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 Elsevier Inc.
PY - 2021/7
Y1 - 2021/7
N2 - Purpose: TO assess perceptions and implications of COVID-19 infection across the spectrum of individuals with visually impairment (VI) and those with normal sight. Design: Prospective cross-sectional comparative study. Methods: Setting: institutional. Patients: 232 patients and their caregivers. Four groups were created based on better eye characteristics: blind (best-corrected distance visual acuity [BCDVA] <3/60 or visual field <10 central degrees); severe VI (BCDVA ≤3/60 to <6/60; vertical cup-to-disc ratio ≥0.85 or neuroretinal rim width ≤0.1); moderate VI (BCDVA ≤6/60 to <6/18); or no or mild VI (controls: BCDVA ≥6/18) based on International Classification of Diseases-10 criteria and Foster and Quigley's consensus definition of glaucoma. Procedure: telephone questionnaires. Main outcome measures: differences in perceptions and implications of COVID-19 infection across various levels of VI. Caregiver perceptions were a secondary outcome measure. Results: Surveys were completed by 232 participants, with 58 participants in each VI group. Mean age was 58.9 ± 13.2 years old. Greater degrees of VI were associated with older age (P = .008) and lower education level (P = .046). Blind participants more commonly perceived vision as a risk factor for contracting COVID-19 (P = .045), were concerned about access to health care (P <.001), obtained news through word of mouth (P <.001), and less commonly wore masks (P = .003). Controls more commonly performed frequent handwashing (P = .001), were aware of telemedicine (P = .029), and had fewer concerns about social interactions (P = .020) than groups with substantial VI. All caregivers reported more frequent patient care since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Conclusions: The pandemic might have had a disproportionate impact on the visually impaired, and evidence-based assessments of COVID-19 health outcomes in this population are warranted.
AB - Purpose: TO assess perceptions and implications of COVID-19 infection across the spectrum of individuals with visually impairment (VI) and those with normal sight. Design: Prospective cross-sectional comparative study. Methods: Setting: institutional. Patients: 232 patients and their caregivers. Four groups were created based on better eye characteristics: blind (best-corrected distance visual acuity [BCDVA] <3/60 or visual field <10 central degrees); severe VI (BCDVA ≤3/60 to <6/60; vertical cup-to-disc ratio ≥0.85 or neuroretinal rim width ≤0.1); moderate VI (BCDVA ≤6/60 to <6/18); or no or mild VI (controls: BCDVA ≥6/18) based on International Classification of Diseases-10 criteria and Foster and Quigley's consensus definition of glaucoma. Procedure: telephone questionnaires. Main outcome measures: differences in perceptions and implications of COVID-19 infection across various levels of VI. Caregiver perceptions were a secondary outcome measure. Results: Surveys were completed by 232 participants, with 58 participants in each VI group. Mean age was 58.9 ± 13.2 years old. Greater degrees of VI were associated with older age (P = .008) and lower education level (P = .046). Blind participants more commonly perceived vision as a risk factor for contracting COVID-19 (P = .045), were concerned about access to health care (P <.001), obtained news through word of mouth (P <.001), and less commonly wore masks (P = .003). Controls more commonly performed frequent handwashing (P = .001), were aware of telemedicine (P = .029), and had fewer concerns about social interactions (P = .020) than groups with substantial VI. All caregivers reported more frequent patient care since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Conclusions: The pandemic might have had a disproportionate impact on the visually impaired, and evidence-based assessments of COVID-19 health outcomes in this population are warranted.
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U2 - 10.1016/j.ajo.2021.03.016
DO - 10.1016/j.ajo.2021.03.016
M3 - Article
C2 - 33781768
AN - SCOPUS:85104333105
SN - 0002-9394
VL - 227
SP - 53
EP - 65
JO - American journal of ophthalmology
JF - American journal of ophthalmology
ER -