Impact of COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown on retinal detachments

Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on a world-wide private ophthalmic practice

Purpose

To assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on a worldwide private ophthalmic practice.

Design

In this retrospective study, we reviewed the 2020 monthly outpatient and surgical volume of refractive, cataract, and retinal disease in Aier Eye clinics/hospitals of different regions, including the United States, Germany, Spain, Italy, and six major cities in China (Wuhan, Beijing, Shanghai, Shenyang, Urumqi and Yili). All of these data were compared to those of the same period of 2019.

Results

Overall, during the early stage (2020 January to 2020 April) of COVID-19 outbreak, the outpatient and surgical volume of three main type ocular diseases (refractive, cataract and retinal surgery) showed an obvious reduction and reached the bottom in February in China. The data from the United States, Germany, Spain and Italy revealed the same trend, but the visit count nadir occurred until April, which is consistent with the spread trend of COVID-19 disease around the world. The average change rates of surgery volume (refractive, cataract and retinal surgery) in Chinese centers are 5.59%, -26.38%, 11.76%. The change rates of refractive (REF) and cataract volumes (CAT) in the United States are -8.62% and -10.58%, in Germany are -13.71% and -20.49%, in Spain are 15.35% and 27.97%, in Italy are 30.43% and -22.64%. In addition, the optometry outpatient volumes keep going up since May, with an average increasing rate of 21.18%, ranging from 7.43% to 49.51%.

Conclusion

In conclusion, in this global chain of eye care units, the visit volumes of cataract, retinal and refractive changed significantly with the spread of COVID-19 pandemic. Among them, cataract surgery was the most affected sub-specialty, and refractive surgery and optometry volumes showed a potential growth in the near future. Therefore, medical institutions should make corresponding adjustments to the disease diagnosis and treatment strategies.

Impact of Victorian COVID-19 restrictions on emergency department presentations and hospital admissions for ophthalmic conditions

CLINICAL RELEVANCE

Assessing the extent to which COVID-19 impacted hospitals can provide important learnings for future pandemics.

BACKGROUND

This study aims to determine the impact of the 7-month duration COVID-19 pandemic-related lockdown orders on ophthalmology-related hospital admissions and emergency department (ED) presentations, during 2020 in Victoria, Australia.

METHODS

Analysis was performed on Victorian statewide data from the Victorian Emergency Minimum Dataset (VEMD) and Victorian Admitted Episodes Dataset (VAED), between 1 January 2018 and 31 October 2020. Numbers of presentations and admissions for key ophthalmic conditions were stratified by age, socioeconomic status, location (metropolitan versus rural), and triage category. From the observations occurring in the pre-pandemic period (January 2018 to March 2020), a linear regression prediction model was built for each diagnosis which predicted what the presentation number in the COVID-19 period would have been if the pandemic had not occurred.

RESULTS

Based on pre-COVID-19 trends, the largest decreases in expected admissions were for glaucoma (32.9%) and retinal breaks and detachments (21.2%). For the ED data, the most apparent changes were: an increase in presentations for foreign bodies (22.6%); a decrease in retinal detachments (35.5%); and a decrease in keratitis (18.4%) relative to predictions.

CONCLUSIONS

Hospital admissions decreased and patterns of ED attendances changed during lockdown. The findings suggest the need for the following: increased safety messaging to avoid eye injuries around the home; improved pathways for safe and rapid triaging of eye conditions in the community to ensure effective use of ED resources; and messaging to ensure that people do not delay care when they notice signs of sight-threatening conditions such as retinal detachment.

Sustained impact of COVID-19 on primary retinal detachment repair in a tertiary eye hospital from March to December 2020

Purpose

To review the sustained effect of COVID-19 on rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD) baseline characteristics and outcomes.

Methods

This was a retrospective consecutive case series at the Birmingham and Midlands Eye Centre including patients undergoing primary RRD repair between 23 March and 31 December 2017-2019 (Group 1) and 2020 (Group 2). The deciles of indices of multiple deprivation (IMD) were determined by postcode to group patients into least deprived (IMD1-5) and most deprived (IMD6-10).

Results

In total we reviewed 1310 patients, 1003 in Group 1 and 307 in Group 2. Relative to 2017-2019, during the first lockdown, we observed (a) a reduction in the number of patients with RRD, (b) an increase in macula-off detachments, (c) an increase in RRD primary failure, and (d) that the least deprived had proportionately higher primary failure than the most deprived (p = 0.049) with a higher detachment rate than the pre-COVID-19 period (p = 0.010) and increased presentations of macula-off detachment. During the second lockdown, these differences were not observed.

Conclusion

The previously observed findings of lower presentation rates of RRD during the beginning of the first lockdown and the decreased number of macula-on RRD were not sustained over a longer period of observation or found to recur after a second national lockdown. Patients from areas with the least socioeconomic deprivation seemed to be more negatively affected by the first lockdown, with later presentation and higher rates of re-detachments compared with the most deprived during the first lockdown. Our findings offer reassurance that patient behaviour and health services had adapted to the pandemic by the second national lockdown.

Supplementary Information

The online version of this article (10.1007/s00717-022-00521-0) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Clinical Experience of an American Academic Ophthalmology Department During the COVID-19 Pandemic

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

To describe the experience of a large American academic ophthalmology department from the start of the COVID-19 pandemic to the early recovery phase in Summer 2020.

METHODS

Retrospective review; description of approaches taken by our academic medical center and department regarding supply chain issues, protection of doctors and staff, elimination of nonurgent care, calls for staff and faculty deployment, and reopening. Comparison of surgical and clinic volumes in suburban locations versus the main campus; analysis of volumes compared with pre-pandemic periods.

RESULTS

At our medical center, screening and precautions (such as the mask policy) continued to evolve from March through August 2020. Ophthalmologists were not allowed to use N95 respirators except in rare circumstances. Surgical and clinic volume dropped at both urban and suburban locations, but surgery rebounded more quickly at suburban surgery centers once elective procedures resumed. Mandates from administration were not always attainable.

CONCLUSIONS

During respiratory pandemics such as COVID-19, medical centers should adopt protective measures that are consistent across inpatient and outpatient sectors and consistent with other institutions. Our department's large presence outside the urban center where the main hospital is located allowed faster return of clinical care overall. In the event of another pandemic, a central budget rather than individual divisional budgets should be used for purchase of protective equipment for health care workers of an academic center. Because outpatient care provides important continuity of care and keeps patients away from emergency departments and hospitals, perhaps outpatient care does not have to be curtailed to the extent it was in Spring-Summer 2020, provided that outpatient health care workers have sufficient staff and equipment and the above measures are in place.

Evaluation of Urgent Retinal Practice and Safety Measures for Physicians and Patients During COVID-19 Pandemic

Purpose

To assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on urgent retina practice and factors influencing adherence of physicians and patients to safety measures.

Methods

In this clinical audit, urgent or emergent vitreoretinal surgical disorders that presented to our hospital during the period of 15th March-15th May 2020 were compared with the period just before the pandemic declaration (15th December 2019-15th February 2020). Additionally, two questionnaires assessing the adherence to safety measures were circulated to the medical personnel and a sample of patients. The collected data were analyzed, and accordingly, recommendations were proposed to the hospital administration and specific corrective measures were applied. The outcome of applying these corrective measures was assessed in the re-audit cycle during the period of 15th June-15th August 2020.

Results

There was a significant decrease in the number of urgent or emergent vitreoretinal surgical disorders that presented to our hospital during the pandemic (161 versus 302 cases in a similar period before the pandemic; p = 0.022). Just with the pandemic recession, there was a significant increase in the number of urgent cases (391 versus 161 cases during the pandemic; p = 0.006), also there was an increased number of complex cases. Residents and fellows were less compliant than attending physicians in adherence to safety measures.

Conclusion

Delayed presentation of urgent retinal cases during the pandemic highlights the importance of public awareness of urgent conditions that need immediate medical or surgical care. Attention to young physicians during the pandemic is crucial as they are less adherent to safety measures due to work overload.

Public perceptions of eye symptoms and hospital services during the first UK lockdown of the COVID-19 pandemic: a web survey study

Objective

This study aimed to explore the British public’s healthcare-seeking beliefs concerning eye symptoms, and assess how the first COVID-19 lockdown influenced these.

Methods and analysis

An anonymous web-based survey was disseminated through mailing lists and social media between June and August 2020. The survey sought participants’ views on the severity and urgency of the need for medical review for four ophthalmic and two general medical scenarios on a five-point scale. Participants were asked to answer questions twice: once ignoring the COVID-19 pandemic, and once taking this into account, with additional questions asked to identify factors influencing the decision to seek medical attention and ward admission.

Results

A total of 402 participants completed the survey (mean age 61.6 years, 63.1% female and 87.7% of white ethnicity). Scores for symptom severity and urgency of medical review increased significantly with the severity of the clinical scenario (both p<0.001). However, participants gave significantly lower scores for the urgency of medical attention when accounting for the COVID-19 pandemic (compared with no pandemic) for all scenarios (all p<0.001). Younger age, greater deprivation and non-white ethnicity were correlated with a lower perception of seriousness and urgency of medical attention.

Conclusions

During the first UK lockdown of the COVID-19 pandemic, reduced urgency of medical review for ocular and systemic pathologies was reported in response to the pandemic, which represents a barrier to healthcare-seeking behaviour. This has the potential to critically delay medical review and timely management, negatively impacting patient outcomes.

The Impact of Three Waves of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Characteristics of Primary Rhegmatogenous Retinal Detachments at a Tertiary Referral Centre

Purpose

This study assessed the effect of three waves of the COVID-19 pandemic primarily on the number and timing of referrals due to rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD) and secondarily on the demographic or clinical characteristics of patients.

Patients and Methods

A retrospective single-centre analysis of medical records included 247 eyes from 247 patients who underwent primary RRD repair with (phaco) vitrectomy between January 1, 2019, and May 31, 2021.

Results

The percentage of referrals due to primary RRD during the first year of pandemic (March 2020–February 2021) was 16.5% (p=0.179) lower than a year earlier. The percentage of referrals during the first, second and third wave of the pandemic was 48.4%, 18.5% and 26.1% (p=0.029, 0.475, 0.343) lower than in the corresponding months of 2019. A rebound effect was observed only after the first wave. The numbers of referrals in April and May 2021 were similar as in the corresponding months of 2019. No significant differences were observed in the demographic and clinical characteristics of patients admitted before and during the COVID-19 pandemic, other than a tendency towards a higher representation of women, younger persons, longer duration of symptoms but better visual acuity in the latter group. Silicone oil tamponade was used more frequently during the pandemic than before.

Conclusion

In this study, the COVID-19 pandemic affected the number and timing of referrals due to RRD and the clinical but not demographic characteristics of the patients. The effect lessened with the duration of the pandemic. Previously raised concerns regarding the delay in RRD referrals may no longer be valid during a potential fourth wave of the pandemic. The impact of the pandemic’s waves should be analysed separately, as such an approach provides a better insight into the fluctuations in the number of referrals due to RRD than a year-to-year comparison.

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on microbial keratitis presentation patterns

BACKGROUND

Microbial keratitis (MK) is the most common non-surgical ophthalmic emergency, and can rapidly progress, causing irreversible sight-loss. This study explored whether the COVID-19 (C19) national lockdown impacted upon the clinical presentation and outcomes of MK at a UK tertiary-care centre.

METHODS

Medical records were retrospectively reviewed for all patients with presumed MK requiring corneal scrapes, presenting between 23rd March and 30th June in 2020 (Y2020), and the equivalent time windows in 2017, 2018 and 2019 (pre-C19).

RESULTS

In total, 181 and 49 patients presented during the pre-C19 and Y2020 periods, respectively. In Y2020, concurrent ocular trauma (16.3% vs. 5.5%, p = 0.030) and immunosuppression use (12.2% vs 1.7%, p = 0.004) were more prevalent. Despite proportionately fewer ward admissions during the pandemic (8.2% vs 32.6%, p<0.001), no differences were observed in baseline demographics; presenting visual acuity (VA; median 0.6 vs 0.6 LogMAR, p = 0.785); ulcer area (4.0 vs 3.0mm2, p = 0.520); or final VA (0.30 vs 0.30 LogMAR, p = 0.990). Whilst the overall rates of culture positivity were similar in Y2020 and pre-C19 (49.0% vs. 54.7%, p = 0.520), there were differences in the cultures isolated, with a lower rate of poly-microbial cultures in Y2020 (8.3% vs. 31.3%, p = 0.022).

CONCLUSIONS

Patient characteristics, MK severity and final visual outcomes did not appear to be affected in the first UK lockdown, despite fewer patients being admitted for care. Concurrent trauma and systemic immunosuppression use were greater than in previous years. The difference in spectra of isolated organisms may relate to behavioural changes, such as increased hand hygiene.

The impact of COVID-19 related national lockdown on ophthalmic emergency in Italy: A multicenter study

Purpose:

To assess ocular pathologies admitted to Italian Emergency Eye Departments (EEDs) during the COVID-19 pandemic national lockdown in 2020 in comparison with the same period in 2019.

Methods:

Electronic records of all patients presenting at EEDs of two tertiary-care Eye Centers during the COVID-19 national lockdown in Italy (March 10–May 3, 2020) were compared with the equivalent period in 2019. Main outcomes were patient age, gender, and diagnoses. Statistical analysis included unpaired Student t-tests, Poisson regression, and chi-square test.

Results:

Overall EED visits significantly decreased by 54.1% during the 2020 lockdown compared to 2019 (851 vs 1854, p < 0.001). During lockdown, patients showed comparable mean age (52.8 years in 2020 vs 53.3 years in 2019, p = 0.52) and significant male gender bias (61.1% in 2020 vs 55.8% in 2019, p < 0.0001). The most frequent pathologies were eye inflammations, trauma-related incidents, and spontaneous acute vitreous detachment. Patients with inflammation, headache/hemicrania, and spontaneous subconjunctival hemorrhages were significantly less, whereas those with trauma-related diagnoses were significantly higher during the lockdown as compared with 2019 (p < 0.05). The proportion of non-urgent visits decreased from 17% in 2019 to 8% in 2020 (p < 0.001).

Conclusions:

During the 2020 lockdown, there was a significant reduction of accesses to EED, especially for non-urgent pathologies. Potentially visual function threatening conditions, such as trauma-related pathologies, retinal detachment or ruptures, and wet AMD, showed lower number of cases but higher or stable proportion relative to the total caseload, suggesting a correct and efficient access to ophthalmic health care during the pandemic period.

Retinal detachment during COVID-19 era: a review of challenges and solutions

Background

Since the beginning of the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, there have been obstacles in the proper diagnosis and management of many diseases. We evaluated the changes in retinal detachment (RD) presentation and surgery during the COVID-19 pandemic and propose solutions to minimize the detrimental effects of lockdown on RD diagnosis.

Materials and methods

PubMed, Embase, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar were searched for relevant articles with the keywords “Retinal detachment” AND “Coronavirus OR COVID-19 OR SARS OR MERS.”

Results

The COVID-19 lockdown was associated a 53–66% reduction in RD presentation. The decrease in the rate of macula-on RD, the increase in the mean duration of symptoms, and the rise in the number of patients with proliferative vitreoretinopathy were all suggestive of a delayed presentation of RD. Moreover, a drop of 56–62% in RD repair surgeries was observed. However, the most frequently performed ophthalmic surgery changed from cataract surgery in April 2019 to RD repair in April 2020. Using phacovitrectomy instead of vitrectomy alone can reduce the number of operations in ophthalmology centers, decrease the use of personal protective equipment by 50%, and cut costs per patient by 17–20%. Also, developing a well-organized telemedicine system can decrease unnecessary visits and delayed presentations.

Conclusion

Delay in RD presentation and surgery is associated with a poorer prognosis. Optimizing the guidelines of RD management and developing a well-organized telemedicine system can minimize the impact of lockdown on RD management.

Presentation of Infectious Keratitis to ED during COVID-19 Lockdown

Objectives

To compare presentation of infectious keratitis during COVID-19 lockdown with previous years, assess relative severity, and compare outcomes between COVID-19 and pre-COVID-19 era groups.

Methods

Acute presentations of infectious keratitis during a strict government-mandated COVID-19 lockdown period were analysed retrospectively (March–May 2020). Data were compared with the same periods in 2018-2019. The clinical notes of patients undergoing corneal scrapes were reviewed, and data were collected on treatment, culture growth, surgical interventions, visual outcomes, admission rates, and risk factors.

Results

There were 37% fewer presentations of infectious keratitis to the ED in 2020 (N = 29, 47, and 45, respectively). Risk factor profiles and microbial data were similar across all periods. Admission rates and use of fortified antibiotics were lower in 2020. COVID-19 era cases recovered less vision (LogMAR 0.26, 0.67, and 0.45, respectively; p = 0.04) and were more likely to require surgical intervention (10%, 4%, and 2%, respectively; OR 3.4 (CI 0.7–17.9, p = 0.1)).

Conclusion

A concerning fall in presentations of infectious keratitis to ED during the pandemic lockdown was observed. Though societal behaviour changed during the lockdown, our data suggest it is unlikely that the incidence of infectious keratitis fell significantly. It is unclear how and where these patients were treated. We postulate that lower levels of visual recovery and higher rates of surgical intervention may have been caused by delays in accessing care. To minimise avoidable ocular morbidity as COVID-19 resurges, we must communicate clearly with patients and health professionals on how to access available emergency eye care services.

Influence of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Admissions for Retinal Detachment in a Tertiary Eye Emergency Department

Purpose

To compare the incidence and clinical characteristics of retinal detachments (RDs) diagnosed in a tertiary eye emergency department (EED) during the COVID-19 pandemic and in the corresponding period of the previous 4 years.

Methods

EED consultations performed from February 21, 2020 (first national case of COVID-19 infection) to May 3, 2020 (end of lockdown imposed by national Government) and for the same date range of 2016–2019 (pre-COVID-19 period), and with a confirmed diagnosis of RD were collected and reviewed. The following demographical and clinical features have been analyzed: age, gender, etiology of RD, macular involvement, best corrected visual acuity (BCVA), and duration of experienced symptoms.

Results

Eighty-two subjects (20.5±1.0 eyes/year) were diagnosed with RD in the pre-COVID-19 period, compared to 12 patients in the COVID-19 period (−41.5%). During the pandemic, patients complained symptoms for a median of 8.5 days (IQR, 1.7–15 days) before the EED consultation, while in the pre-COVID-19 period, they declared they had been symptomatic for 2 days (IQR, 1–4 days) (p=0.037); macula-off RD raised from 56% to 75% and no one reported trauma as a triggering event.

Conclusion

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the rate of RD diagnosed in our EED decreased significantly and patients waited longer before asking for an ophthalmologic examination. These findings are probably due to the fear of contracting the COVID-19 infection attending hospital environments. Even if emergency departments are often misused by people suffering non-urgent conditions, patients complaining of sudden visual loss, visual field defects, or phosphenes should always and promptly attend an EED visit to prevent a worse prognosis.

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on characteristics of retinal detachments: the Canadian experience

OBJECTIVE

To describe the impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on the characteristics of retinal detachments (RD) at a tertiary centre.

DESIGN

Retrospective consecutive case series.

PARTICIPANTS

One hundred and ninety eyes of 188 patients with primary, rhegmatogenous RD.

METHODS

Patients with RD who presented over a 1-year period (September 14, 2019 to September 13, 2020). The relationship between demographic, anatomic, and visual acuity parameters were compared before and after onset of the pandemic using generalized estimating equations.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Macular status and corrected distance visual acuity on presentation.

RESULTS

One hundred and eighty-seven eyes, divided into 2 cohorts: pre-COVID (n = 100 September 14, 2019 to March 13, 2020) and post-COVID (n = 87, March 14, 2020 to September 13, 2020). Of the eyes, 63.2% (n = 87) presented with macular detachment in the post-COVID group compared with 45% (n = 100) in the pre-COVID group (odds ration [OR], 2.14; 95% confidence interval [CI],1.19-3.86; p = 0.011). As well, eyes in the pre-pandemic cohort had significantly fewer detached quadrants on initial examination (OR, 0.53; 95% CI, 0.30-0.93; p = 0.026). Patients in the post-COVID group had a significantly worse corrected distance visual acuity at baseline (mean difference [MD] = -0.35 logMAR, 95% CI, -0.60 to -0.09; p = 0.008), but not at 1 month or at final follow-up. No differences were seen between groups with respect to demographics, lens status, treatment, time to presentation, or chronicity. Pneumatic retinopexy was the most commonly performed procedure in both cohorts, with a 71.5% success rate.

CONCLUSIONS

Closures after the COVID-19 pandemic affected the characteristics of RDs at presentation with respect to macular detachment, extent of RD, and presenting visual acuity. At final follow-up, final visual acuity and anatomic outcomes were similar between the 2 groups. These data are helpful for future patient education, triaging, and treatment decision making.

Ocular Manifestations of Patients with Coronavirus Disease 2019: A Comprehensive Review

Apart from conjunctival involvement which is the most well-known ocular manifestation of coronavirus infectious disease 2019 (COVID-19), there are multiple reports of the involvement of other ocular structures by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). We comprehensively reviewed PubMed, Scopus, Embase, and Google Scholar for available evidence regarding COVID-19 various ocular manifestations, with special focus on less known and unusual ocular findings. We then categorized the findings based on the parts of the eye which was involved. In anterior sections of the eye, the involvement of the eyelid (tarsadenitis), conjunctiva and cornea (follicular conjunctivitis, pseudomembranous conjunctivitis, and keratoconjunctivitis), episclera (nodular episcleritis), uvea (anterior uveitis) were reported. Also, third, fourth, and sixth nerve palsy, retinal vasculitis, retinal optical coherence tomography (OCT) changes (hyper-reflective lesions and increased retinal nerve fiber layer thickness [RNFLT]), optic neuritis, papillophlebitis, Miller Fisher syndrome, posterior reversible leukoencephalopathy (PRES), ophthalmic artery and central retinal artery occlusion, and polyneuritis cranialis were reported in different studies. Postmortem evaluation of COVID-19 patients detected no viral RNA in different anterior and posterior segments of the eyes. However, another study revealed a 21.4% positivity of the retinal biopsies of dead patients. The results of this study can help ophthalmologists to be vigilant when they see these findings in a suspected case of COVID-19. In addition, wearing face masks and protective goggles or eye shields are recommended, especially in high risk contacts.

Twenty-one Days of Solitude

As the world is now gradually coming out of the "lockdown" phase, one can expect a change in the demographics and epidemiology of trauma. With traffic back on roads and shifting life again towards "normalcy", it is imperative to carry out introspection and see how we can stop trauma from reaching its pre-COVID levels. How to cite this article: Prabhakar H. Twenty-one Days of Solitude. Indian J Crit Care Med 2021;25(3):249-250.

The impact of COVID-19 on primary retinopexy in preventing retinal detachment in a tertiary eye hospital emergency department

PURPOSE

To review the effect of COVID-19 on rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD) rate following primary retinopexy.

METHODS

Retrospective consecutive case series of 183 patients attending Birmingham and Midlands Eye Centre undergoing primary retinopexy (cryotherapy and laser) between March 23rd to June 30th in 2019 (Group 1) and 2020 (Group 2).

RESULTS

In total we reviewed 183 retinopexies, 122 in Group 1 and 61 in Group 2, a reduction of 50%. In Group 2 compared to Group 1, we showed a significant difference in characteristics of patients having primary retinopexy with an increase in proportion of male patients from 50 (41.0%) to 39 (63.9%) (p = 0.005), increase in high myopes from 1 (0.8%) to 4 (6.6%) (p = 0.043), more slit lamp laser retinopexy from 83 (68.0%) to 52 (85.2%) (p = 0.013) and less cryopexy from 21 (17.2%) to 2 (3.3%) (p = 0.008). In Group 2, primary retinopexy resulted in significantly more 3-month RRD rate 1 (0.8%) to 5 (8.2%) (p = 0.016). There were no changes in number of patients requiring further retinopexy (p = 1.000).

CONCLUSION

This study demonstrates a reduction of primary retinopexy, an increased risk for RRD following primary retinopexy and a significant shift in type of primary retinopexy performed, demographics, operator and change in characteristics of type of retinal break observed during this pandemic. This study contributes to the growing literature of the secondary effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on other aspects of healthcare that is not just limited to the virus itself.