Impact of COVID-19 Lockdown on Ocular Trauma in Benghazi, Libya

Abstract

Background. COVID-19 is a new pandemic that spread over the world in 2020, for which most countries imposed rigorous lockdown to reduce its upsurge and thus its socioeconomics’ sever effects. Global measures include isolation, social distancing, lockdown any nonemergency facilities, local and international travelling restrictions. But these rules are implacable in case of trauma in general and more with ocular trauma, which represents a serious public health problem and leading cause of visual impairment. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of COVID -19 lock down on number of ocular traumas acquiring surgery. Methods. A retrospective study in Aljala trauma hospital in the period from 18 March to 18 April 2020 on patients who underwent surgical intervention for non-war eye trauma. Results. A total number of patients seen in emergency department were 350 patients in 2020 with four patients needed hospital admission and surgical intervention making a 1.14% of total number. While number of patients seen at the same time in 2019 were 965 patients and three patients needed surgical intervention (0.31%). There was no statistical difference in the amount of patient acquiring surgical intervention in the two periods with the P value of >0.05 Conclusion. Although total emergency eye visits decreased during the covid-19 lockdown period, similar incidence of surgery needed ocular trauma persisted.