One in 5 report deteriorating eyesight during lockdown in UK

LONDON: More than one in five people in Britain have noticed their vision deteriorate during lockdown, a study has found.

According to a survey of 2,000 people conducted by the College of Optometrists, 22 per cent of people reported their eyesight had noticeably deteriorated since the nation first went into lockdown in March.

One-third of those surveyed – and a higher proportion in those aged between 18 and 34, at 42 per cent – believe the problems with their eyesight stem from spending more time in front of their TV and computer screens while shut in at home.

Dr Susan Blakeney, optometrist and clinical adviser for the college, said anyone who held concerns over their vision should not hesitate in contacting a medical professional.

“It is very important that if your vision has deteriorated or if you are experiencing a red or painful eye you should telephone your local optometrist,” she said.

“They will be able to arrange a telephone consultation to help you get to the botom of your problems and if needed they will arrange a face-to-face consultation.”

On the other hand, medical experts have said there is currently “very litle evidence” to suggest Covid-19 impacts eyesight following claims from both the prime minister and his adviser that they believed their vision may have been affected by the coronavirus.

Ater a controversial trip from his London home to his parent’s farm in Durham, the prime minister’s top adviser Dominic Cummings was seen in beauty spot Barnard Castle during lockdown — a 30 minute drive he said he made with his wife and young child as to test if he could see well enough to transport them back to the capital.

It was a detail backed up by the prime minister during the daily Downing Street press briefing, during which he pulled a pair of spectacles from his pocket and said he had needed to use them for the first time in years ater contracting the virus.

However medical experts have been less convinced — with world-renowned specialists, Moorfields Eye Hospital, saying there was not yet enough data to support claims the virus may cause sight issues.

Meanwhile, almost four in 10 middle aged Britons are unable to see phone and tablet screens clearly, according to a new poll.

The survey of 2,000 adults aged 45 and over found just under half have to resort to holding their devices at arm’s length to focus their eyes properly.

Long-sightedness — which becomes more prevalent as we grow older — leaves many struggling to read small print.