COVID-19 Lockdown Causes One in Three Children to Become Shortsighted

COVID-19 Lockdown Causes One in Three Children to Become Shortsighted

One of the recent trends in global health is myopia or shortsightedness; one in three children cannot see objects from a distance.

As reported by BBC, a global study noted that the lockdown due to coronavirus has cost children their vision because they spend more time on screens.

A recent study conducted in the British Journal of Ophthalmology covered about 5 million children and adolescents from 50 countries worldwide; of these, Asia has the highest myopia prevalence rate, as high as 85 percent in Japan, 73 percent in South Korea, and 40 plus percent in China and Russia.

At the same time, Paraguay and Uganda have a 1% shortsightedness rate among children—about 15% of individuals in the UK, Ireland, and the US experienced myopia.

Scientists pointed out that the incidence of shortsightedness rose most sharply after the pandemic, and overall, the myopia rate was higher at 36% from 1990 to 2023.

The researchers stated, “The current study found that the pandemic may be linked to a faster decline of vision in young people.”

The researchers also said that shortsightedness will affect 50 percent of teens globally by 2050.

To minimize the effects of shortsightedness, UK experts proposed that children between the ages of seven and nine should engage in at least two hours of outdoor activities.

It should be considered that although myopia is not curable, it can be improved with glasses and contact lenses.