COVID-19 Resources: Here is what we know

The 2019 novel coronavirus (COVID-19)pandemic is rapidly changing the way the health and development communities are working. With the proximity of eye health professionals to patients during eye examinations and reports that the virus can cause conjunctivitis, COVID-19 has implications for eye health and eye health professionals. Travel restrictions, reprioritisation of health resources and economic consequences are impacting the work of many of our member and partner organisations.

To assist IAPB members, eye health personnel, health professionals and program personnel, IAPB is collating and sharing information and resources specific to eye health and international development in relation to COVID-19. Without much ado, COVID-19 Resources: Here is what we know…

Please also note our resources in Spanish and French.

Page updated: 28 April 2020.

Eye health

Eye Health Organisations

• Updates for Ophthalmologists, American Academy of Ophthalmology
• FAQs for Optometrists, The College of Optometrists, UK
• Global COVID-19 Resource Centre, International Council for Ophthalmology
• WCO Statement concerning COVID-19, World Council of Optometry
• Update from RAAB7 team, International Centre for Eye Health and Peek Vision
• Global COVID-19 Resource Centre, International Council for Ophthalmology

Literature: COVID-19, Eyes & Vision

• Contact Lens And Glasses Use During COVID-19
• Taking the right measures to control COVID-19 in ophthalmology: the experience of a tertiary eye care referral center in Italy
• COVID-19 Conference for ophthalmologists in African eye units 9 April 2020
• Protecting yourself and your patients from COVID-19 in eye care
• COVID-19: Changing Ophthalmic Practice in African Eye Units (Victor Hu)
• Preventing transmission of COVID-19 in the eye unit (Elanor Watts)
• COVID-19: Adaptation and Changes at Guiness Eye Centre, Lagos, Nigeria (Adeola Onakoya)
• All India Ophthalmological Society – Indian Journal of Ophthalmology consensus statement on preferred practices during the COVID-19 pandemic
• Communicating with patients with nAMD and their families during the COVID-19 pandemic
• Guidance for patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD) and their families during the COVID-19 pandemic
• Guidance for anti-VEGF intravitreal injections during the COVID-19 pandemic
• Ophthalmology practice during the COVID-19 pandemic
• Sustainable practice of ophthalmology during COVID-19: challenges and solutions

Practice Guidelines

• General guidelines for secondary and primary eye care centres
• Secondary centre specific guidelines
• Vision centre specific guidelines

Editorials

• Novel Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19): The importance of recognising possible early ocular manifestation and using protective eyewear, Ji-Peng Olivia Li, Dennis Shun Chiu Lam, Youxin Chen, Daniel Shu Wei Ting, British Journal of Ophthalmology 2020;104:297-298. http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bjophthalmol-2020-315994 (added on 23 March 2020)
• All eyes on Coronavirus: What do we need to know as ophthalmologists, Khanna R, Honavar SG. Indian Journal of Ophthalmology, 2020;68:549-53.

• Novel Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19): The importance of recognising possible early ocular manifestation and using protective eyewear, Li J-PO, Lam DSC, Chen Y, et al. British Journal of Ophthalmology. Published Online 13 February 2020 https://doi:10.1136/bjophthalmol-2020-315994 
• Revisiting the dangers of the coronavirus in the ophthalmology practice, Seah, I., Su, X. Lingam, G. Eye  (202) https://doi.org/10.1038/s41433-020-0790-7
• How do you say social distancing in Swahili? Willian Worley, Devex, 30/3/2020
• Why sub saharan African needs a unique response to COVID-19, Neema Kaseje, World Economic Forum 30/3/2020
• WCO COVID-19 Regional Guidance

Articles

• Protecting yourself and your patients from COVID-19 in eye care, International Centre for Eye Health (ICEH), LSHTM
• COVID-19: the gendered impacts of the outbreak, Clare Wenham, Julia Smith, Rosemary Morgan, on behalf of the Gender and COVID-19 Working Group, The LancetPublished:March 06, 2020 DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(20)30526-2
• Contact lens practice in the time of COVID-19, Zeri, Fabrizio; Naroo, Shehzad A, Contact Lens & Anterior Eye, Mar 21, 2020 
• Consensus of Chinese experts on protection of skin and mucous membrane barrier for healthcare workers fighting against coronavirus disease 2019, Yicen Yan, Hui Chen, Liuqing Chen, Bo Cheng,  Ping Diao, Liyun Dong, Xinghua Gao, Heng Gu, Li He, Chao Ji, Hongzhong Jin, Wei Lai, Tiechi Lei, Li Li,  Liuyi Li, Ruoyu Li, Dongxian Liu, … Dermatologic Therapy, First published:13 March 2020 https://doi.org/10.1111/dth.13310
• Stepping up infection control measures in ophthalmology during the novel coronavirus outbreak: an experience from Hong Kong.Lai, T.H.T., Tang, E.W.H., Chau, S.K.Y. et al.Graefes Arch Clin Exp Ophthalmol (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00417-020-04641-8
• Evaluation of coronavirus in tears and conjunctival secretions of patients with SARS‐CoV2 infectionJianhua Xia MM, Jianping Tong MD, Mengyun Liu MM,  Ye Shen MD, Dongyu Guo MD. Journal of Medical Virology. Published:26 February 2020 https://doi.org/10.1002/jmv.25725

Reviews

Can the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Affect the Eyes? A Review of Coronaviruses and Ocular Implications in Humans and Animals, Ivan Seah , MBBSORCID &Rupesh Agrawal , MDORCID. Journal of Ocular Immunology and Inflammation. Published online: 16 Mar 2020 

Letters to the editor

The possibility of COVID‐19 transmission from eye to nose, Huiling Qing  Zhijie Li  Zhengwei Yang  Menghai Shi  Zixu Huang  Jinghui Song  Zongming Song, Acta Ophthalmologica, First published: 18 March 2020 https://doi.org/10.1111/aos.14412

Contact Lens

• The COVID-19 pandemic: Important considerations for contact lens practitioners, Lyndon Jones, Karen Walsh, Mark Wilcox, Philip Morrgan, Jason Nichols, CLAE 6/4/20
• Impact of COVID-19 On Contact Lens Wear
  Nicole Carnt, MiVision
• COVID-19 and contact lenses: the facts you need to know,
  Karen WALSH, Contact Lens Update
• Contact lens practice in the time of COVID-19, Fabrizio Zeri, Shehzad A. Naroo, Published:March 19, 2020DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clae.2020.03.007

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Health – COVID information & resources

Live Updates

• Interactive Real Time Dashboard,  John Hopkins University, USA
• An interactive web-based dashboard to track COVID-19 in real time, Ensheng Dong, Hongru Du, Lauren Gardner, Correspondence; The Lancet, Published: February 19, 2020 doi.org/10.1016/S1473-3099(20)30120-1
• COVID-19 Dashboard by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) at Johns Hopkins University & Medicine

Prevention & Health Promotion

• Coping with stress during the 2019-nCoV outbreak
• LSHTM teams up with UK Government and Unilever to reach a billion people in global handwashing campaign
• COVID-19 Resources for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities
• Alliance NGO COVID-19 Statement
• One in five people globally could be at increased risk of severe COVID-19 disease through underlying health conditions

Health Services

• WHO Health Alert brings COVID-19 facts to billions via WhatsApp
• 5 reasons the world needs WHO, to fight the COVID-19 pandemic

Treatment

• Evidence based clinical guidelines, decision flowcharts and evidence under review,
• Caring for people with COVID-19

Resource Centres

• COVID-19 Updates, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine
• The International Council of Nurses
• COVID-19 Resource Library, International Federation on Ageing
• COVID-19 Resource Centre, The Lancet
• Professor Raina MacIntyre – The COVID-19 pandemic update

Online Training

• COVID-19 infection control training, Govt. of Australia

• Rolling updates on coronavirus disease (COVID-19)
• Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) outbreak, the World Health Organization – media briefings, public advice, country & technical guidance, Q & A;
• WHO Technical Guidance and scientific briefs;
• Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) technical guidance: Infection prevention and control / WASH;
• Evidence based clinical guidelines, decision flowcharts and evidence under review;
• Guidance for health workers;
• Essential Health Services;
• Maintaining Essential Health Services and Systems;
• Addressing Human Rights as Key to the COVID19 response;
• WHO Patient Management;
• a library of 3D interactive coronavirus visualizations;
• WHO Coronavirus (COVID-19) training (WHO languages);
• Caring for people with COVID-19, National Covid-19 Clinical Evidence Taskforce, Australia
• COVID-19 Resources for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, NACCHO, Australia
• WHO guidance on NTDs, WHO
• COVID-19 updates, podcast, online course & resource centre, London School of Tropical Health & Medicine
• LSHTM teams up with UK Government and Unilever to reach a billion people in global handwashing campaign, LSTHM
• COVID-19 Literature search engine, LitCOVID, NIH
• COVID-19 Resource Centre, The Lancet 
• Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) outbreak, the World Health Organization 
• Infection control-free training, Govt. of Australia
• Interactive Real Time Dashboard,  John Hopkins University, USA
• An interactive web-based dashboard to track COVID-19 in real time, Ensheng Dong, Hongru Du, Lauren Gardner, Correspondence; The Lancet, Published: February 19, 2020 doi.org/10.1016/S1473-3099(20)30120-1
• Eye Banking, Global Alliance of Eye Bank Associations
• Nursing; International Council of Nurses
• IFA COVID-19 Resource Library, International Federation of Aging
• Why collaboration is essential if we are to successfully tackle COVID-19, Professor Brendan Crabb AC, Director and CEO of the Burnett Institute, published on Philanthropy Australia
• UN Socio-economic impact of COVID 19 Report, March 2020, United Nations
• Global-Humanitarian-Response-Plan-COVID-19 April-Dec 2020, United Nations
• UN Issues 2 billion appeal to combat COVID-19, United Nations, 25/3/2020
• COVID-19: A Gender Lens Report, United Nations Population Fund,
• COVID Funding Visualisations, Devex

Repositories

Devex COVID-19 Resources[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]

International Development

• Addressing Human Rights as Key to the COVID-19 Response
• Will the SDGs Still be Relevant after the Pandemic? A Disability Rights Perspective
• Maintaining essential health services and systems
• POLICY RESPONSES TO COVID-19
• Humanitarian operations, camps, and other fragile settings as well as refugees and migrants in non-humanitarian and non-camp settings,
• First UN solidarity flight with COVID-19 medical supplies to all African Nations, WHO News 15/4/2020
• A global event for everyone, One World: Together At Home April 18  15/4/2020
• Calibrating the COVID-19 Crisis Response to the SDGs, UN 15/4/2020
• UN working to avert dual crises as COVID-19 hits hunger hotspots, UN  15/4/2020
• 5 reasons the world needs WHO, to fight the COVID-19 pandemic, 15/4/2020 

Socio-economic impact & response

• Will the SDGs Still be Relevant after the Pandemic? A Disability Rights Perspective
• Coronavirus and its Impact on the SDGs

Low & Middle Income Countries 

Editorial

• Lockdowns will starve people in low-income countries
• Strategies combining self-isolation, moderate physical distancing and shielding likely most effective COVID-19 response for African countries
• Bearing the brunt of covid-19: older people in low and middle income countries Peter Lloyd-Sherlock, Shah Ebrahim, Leon Geffen, Martin McKee, British Journal of Ophthalmology 2020; doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.m1052 (Published 13 March 2020)

ViewPoint 

• Managing COVID-19 in Low- and Middle-Income Countries Hopman J, Allegranzi B, Mehtar S. JAMA Network. Published online March 16, 2020. doi:10.1001/jama.2020.4169 

Articles 

• Adoption of COVID-19 triage strategies for low-income settings, Rodgers R Ayebare, Robert Flick, Solome Okware, Bongomin Bodo, Mohammed Lamorde, The LANCET, Respiratory Medicine Published:March 11, 2020 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S2213-2600(20)30114-4 

COVID information & resources 

• COVID-19: How to include marginalized and vulnerable people in risk communication and community engagement
• Access To Covid-19 Tools (Act) Accelerator
• The UN Response 
• COVID Action Platform, World Economic Forum  
• Strategic Intelligence Map, World Economic Forum  
• How the World Bank Group is helping countries with COVID-19 (coronavirus), World Bank 
• USAID Responds 
• News articles, Devex 

Repositories  

• Disability Inclusion & COVID 19, Core Group & IDDC (International disability and development consortium)
• COVID19 CHIC Member Resources, Community Health Impact Coalition

Humanitarian Response

• COVID-19: How to include marginalized and vulnerable people in risk communication and community engagement
• Access To COVID-19 Tools (ACT) Accelerator

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Vision Impairment News and Blogs

• Disability considerations during the COVID-19 outbreak
• COVID19 Resource
• Coronavirus restrictions put extra burden on the blind community: Experts, ABC News, USA
• Coronavirus outbreak makes life even tougher for Hong Kong’s disabled, South China Morning Post
• Don’t Be a Barrier: Be Accessible NOW, National Federation of the Blind, USA
• COVID19-five-ways-rnib-services-can-help, Royal National Institute of Blind People, UK
• Coronavirus: Four ways to help people with sight loss, Royal National Institute of Blind People, UK
• Combat the Tedium of COVID-19 Quarantine with Accessible Games, American Foundation for the Blind Blog, USA
• AFB Is Fighting to Protect Rights of Blind and Low Vision Students During COVID-19 Pandemic, American Foundation for the Blind Blog, USA
• 5 Accessibility Actions You Can Take When You’re Moving Your Conference or Classes Online, American Foundation for the Blind Blog, USA
• Covid-19 handwashing advice described for blind people, Auckland branch of Blind Citizens, New Zealand
• Covid-19 handwashing advice described for blind people (MP3 version), Auckland branch of Blind Citizens, New Zealand
• Commission for the Blind & Visually Impaired, USA 
• Vision Australia
• World Blind Union
• Blind Citizens Australia

Disability

• IDA recommendations for disability-inclusive covid19 response, International Disability Alliance
• The COVID-19 response must be disability inclusive, The Lancet
• Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) Situation Report – 66, WHO Report/26/03/2020 (Other people become infected with COVID-19 by touching these contaminated objects or surfaces, then touching their eyes, nose or mouth.: people with vision-impairment often relies on tactile braile on the public or surface.) (they rely more on touch).

Inclusion

• Toward a Disability-Inclusive COVID19 Response: 10 recommendations from the International Disability Alliance
• The COVID-19 response must be disability inclusive

Correspondence

The COVID-19 response must be disability inclusive, Richard Armitage, Laura B Nellums, The Lancet Public Health, published: March 27, 2020.

In order to continue to provide useful information & resources to our community, we are interested to know what further information/resources that may be useful to you or you would like to share with your colleagues . If you have any suggestions, please email me.