DR. AMIT MOHAN

Abstract

The aim of the current study was to compare the rate of progression of myopia before and during the COVID-19 pandemic and to assess the risk factors of hastened progression. A total of 133 children (266 eyes) aged 6-18 years were included in the study. Mean annual myopia progression was found to be statistically significant during COVID-19 as compared with pre-COVID (0.90 ± 1.07 vs 0.25 ± 0.42 p<0.00001). A total of 53.4% of children showed an annual progression of >1 D during the pandemic as compared with 15.4% before the COVID-19 (p<0.00001). In multivariate analysis, baseline myopia of <6 D (p=0.001), history of rapid progression in pre-COVID era (p<0.00001), sun exposure <1 hour/day (p=0.03), and mobile use for video games >1 hour/day (p=0.001) were found to be independent risk factors for rapid myopia progression.

Children should be provided with socially distant outdoor activities to increase their sun exposure and diminish the rate of myopia progression.