How We Are Protecting Our Patients During the COVID-19 Pandemic

It’s no secret that the COVID-19 pandemic has been a confusing time for everyone. So much of what we were accustomed to has changed. With different rules and regulations in each area, it becomes difficult to keep track of what is considered safe and what is not. For many patients, this uncertainty has left them confused about the state of their eyecare and searching for answers. At California Oculoplastics and Retina, we are here to assure you that we are not only an essential service, but we are taking the necessary precautions to keep you as safe as possible while in our care.

We are an eyecare clinic, but the health of our patients’ eyes is not our only concern. The overall health and safety of our patients is extremely important to us, and because of that, we are taking extra safety precautions to protect them from the spread of this virus. Not only are we in compliance with the CDC and American Academy of Ophthalmology guidelines, but we are taking additional precautions and social distancing measures as well. Some of the ways we are protecting our patients and our team include:

• Spacing out appointment times to limit waiting periods and maintain social distancing
• Screening all patients and staff for symptoms prior to their appointment and asking them to stay home if experiencing symptoms
• Requiring all patients and members of our team to wear a mask or facial covering
• Asking family members and caregivers to wait outside the office to decrease exposure
• Wearing appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) to protect our team and our patients
• Diligently disinfecting the rooms, equipment, door handles, surfaces, pens, and more after every patient

Why Should You Get Your Eyes Checked?

Eyecare is deemed an essential service, and for good reason. You need routine eye exams in order to detect vision problems, diagnose eye disease, and observe overall health issues related to the eyes before the problems worsen. Most adults should receive comprehensive eye exams annually, but there are certain retinal issues that require immediate and regular attention. For example, if you receive regular eye injections for macular degeneration or diabetic retinopathy, it is important to continue doing so. If you avoid treatment for conditions like this, the quality of your vision is likely to suffer. Other situations that require immediate eyecare services include:

• Experiencing vision changes such as blurry vision or spots in your field of vision
• Sustaining an injury, even a minor one
• Any kind of eye pain or red eye, particularly if experienced alongside a headache, nausea, or vomiting
• Floaters or flashes in the vision
• Sudden loss of vision

Is Eye Protection Necessary During the COVID-19 Pandemic?

We often think of our mouths and noses as the primary sources of transmission, but COVID-19 can also enter the body through the eyes. For this reason, neglecting to treat eye conditions, especially ones that cause you to itch the area, can leave you more susceptible to the virus. On the bright side, we have some good news for those who wear glasses. Studies are beginning to show that those who wear eyeglasses might be less susceptible to COVID-19 because they are discouraged from touching the eye area and are able to curb the virus that way. Contact wearers might consider switching back to their glasses every now and then. It’s a change of pace, it’s trendy, and it might even save you from contracting the virus! Those glasses aren’t looking so nerdy anymore. All jokes aside, protecting the health of ourselves and our loved ones throughout this pandemic is at the top of all of our minds. Not everything has been clear during these times, but we can clearly see that staying on top of your eye care is an important way to protect your health.

To learn more about our eye services, or to learn more about how we are working to protect our patients and staff from COVID-19, give us a call at (626) 653-9395 or contact us online.