Effect of COVID-19 on nearsightedness in children

An estimated 45 million people around the world in 1998 were blind ^[1]. Most of them lost their sight to diseases that are treatable or preventable. According to the US Bureau of Census, the number of people with blindness around the world was estimated to reach 76 million by 2020 ^[2]. Of these, around 80% of the population live in the lesser-developed world in countries with chronic economic deprivation ^[3].

The COVID-19 pandemic not only exacerbated the economic deprivation in many countries, it has also accelerated the number of people affected by preventable blindness, especially children. Although the rollout of safe and effective vaccines at the start of 2021 marked a turning point in the pandemic that wrought devastation for much of 2020, 2021 still brought daunting challenges, mounting death tolls and continued strain on health-care systems, and stark inequality in vaccine access across countries.

With a surge in cases related to COVID-19, many educational institutions remained in remote/distance learning across countries. This led to children being reliant on electronic devices for their school and play. In a recent parent survey, 70% of parents reported that their kids spend at least four hours a day on electronic devices ^[4]. This combined with delayed vision screenings during the pandemic, has created a heap of issues for children’s eyesight. Nearsightedness or myopia has seen a surge in both children and adults. In countries like China, evidence of possible rise in myopia cases during the pandemic has been reported ^[5]. Preventing of keeping myopia from progressing is important because it can lead to more serious eye problems later in life, such as cataracts and glaucoma.

The most discomforting of this amalgamation of situations is that many children often adapt to vision changes and may not complain. With delayed vision screenings, it is important to look out for symptoms associated with myopia. Symptoms of myopia include squinting, rubbing eyes frequently and complaining of blurry vision. With increase in screen time, dry eye and headaches are common side effects. This causes more strain on eyes leading people to feel their eyes are tired, achy or dry. Dry eye can show up as frequent blinking, irritation in and around the eyes, blurry vision, or even tearing excessively. Headaches caused by eyestrain tend to be felt in front of the head or around the eyes, and most often come on towards the end of the day.

1. Johnson  GJFoster  A Prevalence, incidence and distribution of visual impairment. Johnson  GJMinassian  DCWeale  Reds. The Epidemiology of Eye Disease. London, England Chapman & Hall Medical1998;
2. US Bureau of the Census, World Population Profile-1998.  Washington, DC US Bureau of the Census, US Dept of Commerce1998;
3. Pizzarello L, Abiose A, Ffytche T, et al. VISION 2020: The Right to Sight: A Global Initiative to Eliminate Avoidable Blindness. Arch Ophthalmol. 2004;122(4):615–620. doi:10.1001/archopht.122.4.615
4. Shevenock, S. (2020, August 26). YouTube, Netflix and gaming: A look at what kids are doing with their increased screen time. Morning Consult. Retrieved January 31, 2022, from https://morningconsult.com/2020/08/20/youtube-netflix-and-gaming-a-look-at-what-kids-are-doing-with-their-increased-screen-time/
5. Wang J, Li Y, Musch DC, et al. Progression of Myopia in School-Aged Children After COVID-19 Home Confinement. JAMA Ophthalmol. 2021;139(3):293–300. doi:10.1001/jamaophthalmol.2020.6239