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Article type :

Original Article

Author :

Murugan Kumarasamy, Subashree Palani*

Volume :

11

Issue :

1

Abstract :

Purpose: To assess compliance with the international and national guidelines for new normal ophthalmic practice patterns during the pandemic and post-pandemic COVID-19 era. Materials and Methods: An online questionnaire tool was used for this longitudinal observation study. It was conducted in two phases among practicing ophthalmologists in southern India. The first phase of the study, with 31 survey questions, was conducted in December 2020, and the second phase of the study, with four questions, was conducted in December 2023. Data was analysed using SPSS software, and qualitative variables were presented as numbers and percentages. Results: A total of 186 ophthalmologists responded to the mail with a response rate of 47%. 37% were young ophthalmologists in the age group of 30–40 years, and 78% were operating surgeons. During the pandemic era, 72% of ophthalmologists followed triage at the hospital front desk, and 34.5% followed teleophthalmology, whereas in the post-pandemic era, only 8% of them followed the triage system. Personal protective equipment was utilised efficiently by all the participants during the pandemic era, whereas in the post-pandemic era, Likert scale showed that 62% of them completely stopped wearing face masks. 86% of them followed proper instrument cleaning methodology in the outpatient department, which declined to 5% in the post-pandemic era. Conclusion: Triage, teleophthalmology, usage of a face mask, proper instrument sterilisation, and surgical precautions were some of the simple new normal practice patterns that can be followed in the post-pandemic period to prevent COVID and other deadly infections by health care professionals. Key message: Healthcare practitioners can prevent themselves from acquiring COVID-19 and other deadly infections such as disease 'X' in the post-pandemic period by implementing basic new normal practice patterns such as triage, teleophthalmology, face mask usage, adequate equipment sterilisation, and adhering strictly to surgical precautions protocols.