AUTHOR=Wang Wenjing , Peng Shuzhen , Zhang Faxue , Zhu Boya , Zhang Longjiang , Tan Xiaodong 

TITLE=Progression of Vision in Chinese School-Aged Children Before and After COVID-19

JOURNAL=International Journal of Public Health

VOLUME=67

YEAR=2022

URL=https://www.ssph-journal.org/journals/international-journal-of-public-health/articles/10.3389/ijph.2022.1605028

DOI=10.3389/ijph.2022.1605028

ISSN=1661-8564

ABSTRACT=<p><bold>Objectives:</bold> To investigate the changes of vision, including the prevalence of myopia, hyperopia, poor vision, and the spherical equivalent refraction (SER), in school-aged children before and after the pandemic of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19).</p><p><bold>Methods:</bold> A school-based vision screening study was performed on children in 133 primary schools in Wuhan. This study was conducted in 4 consecutive years (2018–2021).</p><p><bold>Results:</bold> A total of 468,094 children (936,188 eyes) were recruited, 255,863 (54.7%) were boys. The SER decreased in 2020 compared to other years after the age of 10. A positive myopia shift was found in younger children aged 6 (0.1 D), 7 (0.05D), and 8 (0.03 D) in 2020 compared to 2019. The progression of vision has improved slightly in 2021. Among the students included in the study, 33.7% were myopia.</p><p><bold>Conclusion:</bold> The vision of older children decreased significantly during the COVID-19. After the pandemic, there is still a high risk for them. In the future, the focus on vision prevention and control should move forward to preschool children.</p>