Obviously many of you will be concerned at the current situation. We are keeping up to date with the latest advice from Public Health and NHS England but so far it is business as usual albeit with a heightened vigilance with regard to all hygeine factors.
Expert optometric advice form Lyndon Jones, Philip Morgan and Jason Nicols responding to contact lens and spectacle wear is clear:
- Contact lens wear remains safe and highly effective. Daily disposable lenses MUST be thrown away at the end of each day and durable lenses MUST be disinfected everyday according to manufacturer and eyecare professional instructions
- Proper handwashing for more than 20 seconds is essential prior to handling contact lenses
- Disinfect spectacles daily as COVID-19 can remain on hard surfaces for many hours and can be transfered form spectacle frames. This is especially important for reading spectacles that may be handles multiple times and worn in the most part by our more elderly patients
Follow this link for useful worldwide data and aims for the latest delay phase in response to COVID-19
https://informationisbeautiful.net/visualizations/covid-19-coronavirus-infographic-datapack/