Ophthalmological emergencies and the SARS-CoV-2 outbreak

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Public Health
• Epidemiology

Background:

• The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic caused global health concerns and led to lockdowns.
• Italy was the first European nation to implement a nationwide lockdown to curb the spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze the impact of the COVID-19 lockdown on patient attendance at an ophthalmology emergency department.
• To compare patient visit data during the lockdown period with pre-lockdown and previous year data.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective collection of patient charts from an ophthalmology emergency department in central-northern Italy.
• Comparison of data from the lockdown period (March 10 - May 4, 2020) with the pre-lockdown period (January 15 - March 9, 2020) and the same period in 2019.

Main Results:

• A significant reduction in total patient visits was observed during the lockdown: 65.4% compared to the pre-lockdown period and 74.3% compared to the same period in 2019.
• During the lockdown, there was a decrease in minor and non-urgent visits, while visits for undeferrable emergencies increased.
• Patient fear of infection and potential misuse of emergency services may explain these trends.

Conclusions:

• The COVID-19 lockdown drastically altered patterns of emergency department attendance in ophthalmology.
• The findings highlight the need to address patient concerns and ensure appropriate utilization of emergency eye care services during public health crises.