Viral Conjunctivitis Rates Unchanged Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic in an Ophthalmology Clinic

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Infectious Disease Epidemiology

Background:

• Millions of acute conjunctivitis cases occur annually in the US.
• The effect of COVID-19 mitigation on viral conjunctivitis in ophthalmology settings was previously unreported.
• Hypothesized a decrease in viral conjunctivitis with mitigation practices.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the impact of COVID-19 mitigation strategies on viral conjunctivitis incidence in ophthalmology clinics.
• To compare conjunctivitis rates before and during pandemic-related precautions.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective chart review of 649 patients across 66,027 ophthalmology clinic visits.
• Data queried from electronic health records using ICD-10 codes for viral, bacterial, and allergic conjunctivitis.
• Rate-ratio analysis compared conjunctivitis incidence before (2018-2019) and during (2020-2021) COVID-19 precautions.

Main Results:

• Viral conjunctivitis rates per visit showed no significant change (RR 0.82, p=0.408).
• Allergic conjunctivitis rates significantly increased (RR 1.70, p<0.001).
• Younger age and Caucasian race were associated with higher viral conjunctivitis frequency.

Conclusions:

• Viral conjunctivitis incidence in ophthalmology clinics remained stable despite COVID-19 mitigation measures.
• Increased allergic conjunctivitis suggests potential environmental or behavioral changes.
• Patient redirection from emergency departments to clinics may influence these findings.