Several conflicting reports have been spread regarding COVID-19 virus transmission and the safety of contact lens (CL) wear during the pandemic. This cross-sectional web-based study aims to assess the impact of COVID-19 on CL wearer behaviors toward CL wear and care in Jordan during the pandemic, where access to eye care practitioners (ECPs) was limited.
The majority of participants continued lens wear during the pandemic and reported profound changes in their attitudes toward CL wear and care. This includes improved CL care and maintenance, less frequent CL aftercare visits and a higher trend toward online CL purchase.
This paper recommends that eye care practitioners should adopt alternative approaches to enhance patient communication and CL education to ensure patient compliance with CL wear and care during the pandemic and to reduce possible CL-related complications and dropout.
This work is a collaboration between the UNSW School of Optometry and Vision Science PhD student Eman Alzghoul and Dr May Bakkar from Jordan University Of Science and Technology – Jordan