Table 1.
Demographic characteristics of study population.
Table 2.
BCVA (logMAR) at the pre-lockdown and follow-up visits among the control and delayed groups.
Fig 1.
Delta BCVA (logMAR) (pre-COVID BCVA–follow-up BCVA) in the control and delayed groups.
BCVA worsened in the overall delayed group by an average of 0.136 and by an average of 0.008 in the overall control group (p = 0.02). This corresponds to a difference of approximately one line (or 5 letters). BCVA worsened in the delayed group with nAMD by an average of 0.125 and by an average of 0.028 in the control group with nAMD (p = 0.07). BCVA worsened in the delayed group with DME by an average of 0.178 and by an average of 0.032 in the control group with DME (p = 0.162).
Fig 2.
Percent of treatment intervals shortened stratified by number of weeks follow-up was delayed.
Fig 3.
OCT analysis of patients with DME and nAMD at pre- and follow-up visits among control and delayed groups.
The most recent OCTs completed pre-lockdown was compared to the OCT at next subsequent follow-up. Central subfield thickness (CST) was measured. For patients with DME, a change in CST greater than 10% was noted per DRCR.net criteria for clinical significance. Among patients with DME, CST changed from 311 (pre-lockdown) to 314 (follow-up) (p = 0.9) in the control group and from 341 (pre-lockdown) to 447 (follow-up) (p = 0.03) in the delayed group. Among patients with nAMD, CST changed from 305 (pre-lockdown) to 298 (follow-up) in the control group (p = 0.4), and from 301 (pre-lockdown) to 314 (follow-up) in the delayed group (p = 0.4).
Fig 4.
Example of nAMD disease progression on OCT from pre-lockdow to follow-up visit in the delayed and non-delayed groups.
A-B. A representative patient with nAMD presented pre-lockdown visit (A) with controlled nAMD. The patient returned for a 6 week follow up with stable disease (B). C-D. Another patient with nAMD presented for pre-lockdown visit with stable disease (C) with a plan for follow-up in 4 weeks. Follow-up was delayed by 6 weeks and OCT revealed significant accumulation of subretinal fluid.
Fig 5.
Example of DME disease progression on OCT from pre- to follow-up visit in the delayed and non-delayed groups.
A-B. A patient with DME presented (A) for pre-lockdown visit with stable disease. The patient returned for 10 week follow-up (B) with a stable degree of intraretinal fluid. C-D. Another patient presented for a pre-lockdown visit with stable disease (C) with a plan for follow up in 8 weeks. Follow up was delayed by 6 weeks and OCT revealed significant accumulation of intraretinal and subretinal fluid.