Dear Colleagues,

We are approaching you to inform the latest trends on Corona (COVOID-19) outbreak and the steps that we can take to safeguard the public as primary eye care practitioners. This is an information and guideline sheet on taking precautions for a safer optometric practice. As we know Corona Outbreak has become a pandemic and rapidly growing in the island. We have to comply with measurements taken by the government to prevent further spread and keep our community safe. The information and guideline sheet will help you to alter your routine eye test, getting workplace ready and keep yourselves and the public safe from contracting the virus.

We have to comply with the government’s advice on opening and closing our businesses. As far as the government allows us to open businesses we may able to practice whilst taking appropriate precautions. There are sensible steps you can take to reduce the risk of contracting and spreading the virus.

Advice to your patients

• Encourage patients and customers in vulnerable groups to postpone their appointments. This will reduce the risk of contracting the virus while they traveling to your practice. Reduce traveling prevents close contact with people. (Vulnerable Groups- Senior Citizens, children, pregnant women, immunocompromised people, people with diabetes, asthma and heart conditions).

• Advise patients to contact the practice by phone before they arrive, to see if they really need to come in.

• Advise patients or customers not to visit the store/clinic if they have symptoms such as- continuous cough and/or high temperature, common cold symptoms.

• Advise them to wear a face mask and gloves whenever possible.

Getting Work Place Ready

• Conduct appointment-based clinics to avoid large gatherings.

• Prepare a place to wash hands for anyone to visit the premises.

• Limit the number of appointments given per day.

• Maintain a reasonable distance between customer chairs in the waiting area.

• Encourage staff members to wear an appropriate facial mask and gloves especially if they handling cash.

• Wash hands regularly before and after handling a customer/assessing a patient.

• Wipe surfaces that may have been contaminated with body fluids with a suitable disinfectant, such as an alcohol wipe. This includes trial frames, door handles, and chin rest, forehead rest of your auto refractometer, non-contact tonometer (Air Puff), Slit lamp and similar equipment.

• Avoid direct ophthalmoscopy where possible – use an SL-BIO method instead of where you can, or consider if fundal imaging is an acceptable alternative.

• Avoid touching patients where possible. For example, when using SL-BIO, ask the patient to open their eyes wide when they are looking down so you can examine the inferior fundus without having to lift their upper lids.

• Consider using a cough guard on your slit lamp if possible.

• Sanitize frames before patients try them on. This can be done using a suitable disinfectant, such as an alcohol wipe. All surfaces must be clean before they are disinfected.

• Send contact lenses or spectacles to patients via post via courier services, rather than asking them to collect them.

• Contact lens practice may have a high chance of transmission of the virus. Therefore, postpone the appointments where possible.

• According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology, anecdotal reports suggest that the new outbreak of coronavirus can cause conjunctivitis, and possibly be transmitted by aerosol contact with the conjunctiva. Be vigilant.

We hope this information will help to conduct a safer practice during this crucial time. We wish you good health.

Thank you.

Yours Sincerely,

Sri Lanka Optometric Association.