Abstract
PurposeThis study reports visual health during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021 in Spain and Portugal, focusing on eye complaints and population habits. Material and methodsCross-sectional survey through an online email invitation to patients attending ophthalmology clinics in Spain and Portugal from September to November 2021. Around 3833 participants offered valid anonymous responses in a questionnaire. ResultsSixty percent of respondents identified significant discomfort related to dry eye symptoms for increased screen time and lens fogging using facemasks. 81.6% of the participants used digital devices for more than 3h per day and 40% for more than 8h. In addition, 44% of participants referred to worsening near vision. The most frequent ametropias were myopia (40.2%) and astigmatism (36.7%). Parents considered eyesight the most important aspect of their children (87.2%). ConclusionsThe results show the challenges for eye practices during the initial COVID-19 pandemic. Focusing on signs and symptoms that lead to ophthalmologic conditions is an essential concern, especially in our digital society highly dependent on vision. At the same time, the excessive use of digital devices during this pandemic has aggravated dry eye and myopia.
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