Ocular Trauma During the COVID-19 Lockdown.

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Trauma Surgery
• Public Health

Background:

• The COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdowns altered daily life, potentially impacting injury patterns.
• Ocular trauma represents a significant cause of vision loss, necessitating prompt medical attention.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effect of the COVID-19 lockdown on the incidence, presentation, and management of sight-threatening ocular trauma.
• To compare ocular trauma cases during lockdown with pre-lockdown periods.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective cohort analysis of patients with serious ocular trauma.
• Comparison of data from the COVID-19 lockdown period with the same period over the preceding 5 years.
• Data collected included mechanism of injury, dates of injury, presentation, and surgical repair.

Main Results:

• A 3.33-fold increase in serious ocular trauma cases was observed during the COVID-19 lockdown compared to the previous 5-year average.
• The average delay between injury and presentation increased from 0.33 days to 1.1 days.
• The average time from presentation to surgery remained similar (12 hours during lockdown vs. 11.38 hours pre-lockdown).

Conclusions:

• The COVID-19 lockdown was associated with a significant rise in ocular trauma, likely due to increased home-based activities and falls.
• Despite longer delays in seeking medical attention, timely surgical intervention for sight-saving procedures was maintained.
• Patients' reluctance to access hospital services during the pandemic may have contributed to delayed presentations.