Abstract
Objective:To investigate the level of awareness of ophthalmologists towards COVID-19 and their perceptions towards infection control in ophthalmic practice.Methods:A web-based survey was conducted using Google Forms during the month of December 2020. All ophthalmologists practicing in Sudan were invited to participate in the study. Participants who did not agree to the terms of the electronic consent form presented at the beginning of the questionnaire as well as those who did not complete the survey, were excluded from the analysis. Knowledge of causes, symptoms, and methods of transmission of COVID-19; ophthalmologists’ attitudes and perceptions towards COVID-19 and clinical practice, including contact lens practice, were assessed using a set of 26 multiple-choice close-ended questions.Results:Of the 307 participants, 77.4% were in the age range 30-40 years and 73% were contact lens practitioners. While 96.1% acknowledged the scientific name of COVID-19, 46.9% were aware of its cause. Ophthalmologists aged 40-50 years were more likely to agree that air-puffing tonometer risks infection spread (OR 1.62, 95% CI: 0.27-9.70, p<0.01). Ophthalmologists aged 30-40 years were more likely to agree that a slit lamp shield would reduce infection risk (OR 1.52, 95% CI: 0.33-6.96, p<0.01). Contact lens practitioners were more likely to perceive that frequent replacement contact lens use can increase the infection spread (OR 2.64, 95% CI: 1.17-5.94, p<0.01).Conclusion:Ophthalmologists in Sudan demonstrated a mixed level of knowledge of the causes, symptoms, and modes of transmission of COVID-19. While the majority were able to identify the protective measures generally required by medical practitioners and patients, there was a limited level of knowledge regarding protective measures specific to ophthalmic practices, especially when dealing with contact lenses. Official national guidelines about safe ophthalmic service provision during the COVID-19 pandemic are recommended.
Highlights
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARSCoV-2) is considered the third novel coronavirus in 17 years [1, 2]. Since it was first reported in Wuhan, China, the virus had spread globally, with the World Health Organization (WHO) declaring it as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern on 30 January 2020 and a pandemic on 11 March 2020 [3]
WHO and Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) guidelines for healthcare providers advocate the use of Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) such as full protection gowns, gloves, eye protection, facial protection such as fullface shield, and face mask [8, 9]
With the ease of restrictions and opening of ophthalmic practices, there is a need to understand the knowledge and awareness of ophthalmologists regarding the COVID-19 as they are among the healthcare providers in concern, partially because of ocular transmission of the disease through close contact with patients’ ocular secretions including conjunctival, aerosol, and tear secretions or contaminated surfaces
Summary
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARSCoV-2) is considered the third novel coronavirus in 17 years [1, 2] Since it was first reported in Wuhan, China, the virus had spread globally, with the World Health Organization (WHO) declaring it as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern on 30 January 2020 and a pandemic on 11 March 2020 [3]. With the ease of restrictions and opening of ophthalmic practices, there is a need to understand the knowledge and awareness of ophthalmologists regarding the COVID-19 as they are among the healthcare providers in concern, partially because of ocular transmission of the disease through close contact with patients’ ocular secretions including conjunctival, aerosol, and tear secretions or contaminated surfaces. Despite the low infection risk reported among contact lens wearers, there is a risk that could be attributed to the fact that contact lens users frequently touch their eyes during contact lens application or removal [12]
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