The prevalence of near-sightedness, or myopia, increased 1.4 to 3 times in Chinese children aged 6 to 8 years during COVID-19 quarantine, according to a study today in JAMA Ophthalmology.Led by researchers at Tianjin Medical University, the prospective study used school-based vision screenings in 123,535 children aged 6 to 13 years from 10 elementary schools in Feicheng, China, over 6 consecutive years, ending in July 2020.
They recorded the spherical equivalent refraction for each student and compared their findings, as well as the prevalence of myopia, in children during the pandemic versus in the previous 5 years.Schools in China were closed from January to May 2020, during which time online learning was offered for 1 hour a day for