IMPACT OF COVID-19 PANDEMIC LOCKDOWNS ON VISUAL ACUITY OF PATIENTS WITH NEOVASCULAR AMD: A Large Cohort.

PURPOSE

Evaluating the impact of delayed care, secondary to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic lockdowns, on visual acuity in previously treated neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD) patients.

METHODS

This was a multicenter, retrospective, study of patients with nAMD previously treated with anti-VEGF injections who were followed up during 2019 (pre-COVID-19) and compared with patients with nAMD during 2020 (COVID-19).

RESULTS

A total of 1,192 patients with nAMD with a mean age of 81.5 years met the inclusion criteria. Of these, 850 patients were assessed in 2019 (pre-COVID-19) and 630 patients were assessed in 2020 (COVID-19). Three hundred eight patients were assessed through both 2019 and 2020 and thus were included in both cohorts. There was no significant difference between 2020 and 2019 in baseline and change in best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA; P = 0.342 and P = 0.911, respectively). The mean number of anti-VEGF injections was significantly lower (5.55 vs. 6.13, P < 0.01), with constant lower ratio of injections per patient in the COVID-19 period. Baseline BCVA (0.859, P < 0.01), number of injections (-0.006, P = 0.01), and age (0.003, P < 0.01) were predictors of final BCVA.

CONCLUSION

In patients with nAMD, delayed care secondary to COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns has no statistically significant impact on BCVA. Best-corrected visual acuity, older age, and lower number of yearly anti-VEGF injections are predictors for decrease BCVA.