Abstract
Introduction: Ocular manifestations, such as conjunctivitis, redness, and tearing, were reported in patients with Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). Objective: To investigate the level of knowledge, attitude, and practice about the ocular manifestations of COVID-19 and protective eye measures among the general population in the western region of Saudi Arabia. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted over two months with 800 participants from the general population and a 39-item online structured validated questionnaire using Google Forms. The collected data were analyzed using the SPSS program version 20 and a P-value <0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results and Discussion: Among the participants (n = 800), 71.9% were females, 50% were highly educated, and 61.8% had moderate incomes. The overall mean total knowledge score was 25.185 ± 3.774, with significant differences regarding age group, gender, and income. Most of the Saudi residents with high monthly incomes, especially females, were knowledgeable regarding the ocular manifestations of COVID-19 (25.0957 ± 3.4311). The average total knowledge, attitude, and practice score was 42.1419 ± 4.833, which was average (medium level), with significant differences regarding age group, gender, and income; a high mean was obtained from the age group >50–60, females, and high-income class. Conclusion: Detailed information about the epidemiology of COVID-19 and an understanding of emerging related health issues, such as ocular manifestations, should be empowered to the public while considering the least knowledgeable groups.
Highlights
Ocular manifestations, such as conjunctivitis, redness, and tearing, were reported in patients with Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)
This study was an observational cross-sectional study that aimed to investigate the level of Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice (KAP) about the ocular manifestations of COVID-19 and eye protection measures among the general population in the western region of Saudi Arabia
This study is a crosssectional study that was conducted to investigate the level of KAP about COVID-19 ocular manifestations and protective measures regarding eyes
Summary
Ocular manifestations, such as conjunctivitis, redness, and tearing, were reported in patients with Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). COVID-19 is caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). After first appearing in Wuhan, China, COVID-19 spread to Europe and all over the world; subsequently, it was described as a pandemic [1]. The virus can cause a wide range of symptoms that range from mild illness to severe pneumonia, with more severe symptoms in immunocompromised patients and those with cardiopulmonary diseases. Some of these symptoms include rhinitis, fever, cough, headache, dyspnea, loss of smell (anosmia), taste disturbance, and sore throat. Some reports have implied that anosmia is the only clinical presenting symptom [5]
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