Changing pattern in presentation of infective conjunctivitis during COVID-19 pandemic in a tertiary eye hospital in Nepal

Purpose: To evaluate changes in the pattern of presentation of infective conjunctivitis during COVID-19 pandemic at a tertiary eye hospital in Nepal. Methods: This was a single-center retrospective cross-sectional study that analyzed cases of infective conjunctivitis at Tilganga Institute of Ophthalmology, Nepal from January 2018 to December 2022 using data from electronic medical records. The data from 2020 and 2021 were considered as the COVID era. Cases of corneal foreign body during the same period were used as a control. Results: The number of cases of infective conjunctivitis decreased by 64.86% (95% CI, -64.82% to -64.94%; p<0.001) during the COVID-19 pandemic. Sharp decrease was noted after the implementation of lockdowns and preventive measures. However, in post-pandemic era, the number of cases increased by 24.6 %( 95% CI, +24.57% to +24.66%; P<0.001). In contrast, the cases of corneal foreign body increased by 41.63 %( 95% CI, +41.59% to +41.66%; p <0.001). Conclusion: The number of cases of infective conjunctivitis at our hospital decreased significantly during the COVID-19 pandemic. This reduction in number and change in pattern of presentation might be attributed to the widespread implementation of preventive public health measures during the pandemic period.