How lockdown may have ruined your eyesight
Researchers fear a spike in short-sightedness caused by people staring at screens to relieve boredom
Coronavirus lockdowns could have damaged the eyesight of thousands of people, scientists have warned.
Another study has discovered spending hours looking at screens can lead to short-sightedness, which causes distant objects to appear blurred.
And eye specialists in Singapore, Germany and Japan, behind the research, fear the Covid- 19 pandemic may cause rates of the condition to spiral.
The doctors analysed data of 120,643 children and found ' increased digital screen time and limited outdoor activities' were linked to causing myopia. And they wrote both factors 'could potentially be aggravated during and beyond the Covid-19 pandemic outbreak period'.
Countries across the world adopted strict measures to strangle the virus, including blanket lockdowns that effectively banned socialising outdoors. Such policies have led to children taking classes online, friends talking over Zoom instead of in real- life and people binge-watching TV.
The experts said 'behavioural changes that arise from the growing dependence on digital devices may persist even after the pandemic'. They wrote: 'There is a possibility that a prolonged battle against the Covid-19 virus may lead to an increase in the incidence of myopia.'
The team warned the drastic measures may shape 'long term behavioural changes conducive for the onset and progression of myopia'.
The study's warning — based on reviews of older studies on myopia — was published in the American Journal of Ophthalmology.
Short-sightedness happens when eyeballs grow slightly too long so that light can't focus on the light-sensitive tissue at the back of the eye properly. Light rays end up focusing just in front of the retina and make objects in the distance seem blurry. It often runs in families and has been linked to focusing on nearby objects, such as books and computers, for long periods during childhood.
Experts warned children faced the greatest risk, given the controversial decisions to shut schools and make them rely on digital devices to learn.
Roughly 3.8billion people across the world currently have myopia. But it is estimated that 5 billion people worldwide will suffer by 2050. Governments around the world have already tried to curb spiralling rates in the past by encouraging children to spend more time outside.
But it is much harder to spend time outside during lockdown to tackle the Covid-19 crisis. UNESCO says 1.4billion students across the world have been affected by lockdown measures and have been forced to adopt digital and e-learning.
The review was led by experts at the Singapore Eye Research Institute, Germany's Heidelberg University and the Tokyo Medical and Dental University.
One of the studies reviewed by experts — of 5,000 youngsters in the Netherlands —found a strong link between increased computer use and myopia. Another study of 418 children in Ireland revealed that smartphone usage was also associated with myopia.
The World Health Organization recommends less than one hour of sedentary screen time for children aged between one and five every day.