The effect of COVID-19 pandemic on the attendance and clinical outcomes of patients with ophthalmic disease: A mini-review

The outbreak of COVID-19 was followed by a rapid spread leading to its declaration as a pandemic in a short time. The transmission through aerosols and direct contact with infected individuals forced the application of strict safety protocols and rearrangements in the activities of different healthcare systems around the world. Ophthalmology healthcare workers are highly exposed to viral infection and therefore adjustments were made to ensure the safety of patients and health providers by performing only urgent treatments. The suspension and delay in regular follow-up visits and the lower number of patients recorded during the lockdown period due to restrictions and patient anxiety led to severe consequences in the clinical and anatomical outcome affecting the overall prognosis. The current review aims to summarize the effect of the lockdown policies in the number and profile of patients that attended the ophthalmology clinics from different countries and analyze the effect of the pandemic in terms of vision and patient functionality. The effects of the pandemic included a reduction in the number of appointments, cancellations of non-emergency conditions and delays of surgical interventions. These had a negative effect in terms of visual outcomes.