PUDUCHERRY: People with blindness and low vision are more vulnerable to Covid-19 infection and have a disadvantage of not receiving sufficient information about the infection, a survey by
Aravind Eye Hospital in
Puducherry showed.
Said to be first of its kind, the survey titled 'Impact of Covid-19 on Individuals Across the Spectrum of Visual Impairment' was published in the American Journal of Ophthalmology last month and found that people with blindness and low vision find it difficult to adhere to standard preventive measures. They are at greater disadvantage of receiving insufficient information as they rely on 'word of mouth', the survey said.
The study team interviewed 232 people (58 each) from four groups — blind, people with severe visual impairment, moderate visual impairment and no or mild visual impairment.
“Vision impairment has been associated with anxiety, depression, and a lower quality of life. Such individuals face greater limitations that may make them particularly vulnerable to worse outcomes if they contract Covid-19,” said
Annamalai Odayappan, one of the authors of the paper published based on the survey.
Use of face masks was low among the participants. “They also felt that low vision put them at a greater risk of contracting Covid-19. Insufficient knowledge of preventive measures contributes to lower adherence to safe practices, which in turn leads to a greater chance of infection,” Annamalai said.
While those with moderate vision impairment and manageable conditions were anxious about delayed doctor visits and care, people with severe visual impairment were concerned about keeping their jobs. “Remote working, which has become the norm, may be especially challenging for them as videoconferencing and collaborations are dependent on visual input and feedback,” he said.
Wills Eye Hospital, Philadelphia; Wilmer Eye Institute,
Johns Hopkins University, and
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor backed the data analysis.