Louie Eyecare Centre
10634 124th St NW T5N 1S3 Edmonton, AB, Canada

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Fact or Fiction? Wearing eyeglasses at least 8 hours may reduce the risk of COVID-19. FACT Studies show that people who wear glasses touch their eyes less.Fact or Fiction? Wearing eyeglasses at least 8 hours may reduce the risk of COVID-19. FACT Studies show that people who wear glasses touch their eyes less.

Today, Oct 8, is World Sight Day the most important advocacy and communications day in the eye health calendar. This year’s global theme is Hope in Sight focusing global attention on blindness and vision impairment. We are very lucky in Canada to have access to facilities for eye health. Many people around the world do not. That is why Louie Eyecare Centre and Dr. Larry Louie is a proud supporter of Seva Canada in their mission to restore sight and prevent blindness in the developing world. https://www.seva.ca

In 2010, I had the opportunity to visit an eye hospital in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Here is a typical eye exam performed by a local doctor with very basic equipment and instruments.

Welcome back ! We are grateful for your patience during this time. We have re-opened as of May 15, 2020 for routine eye examinations under strict Alberta Health guidelines for disinfection of the office and social distancing protocols and the use of personal protective equipment when social distancing could not be strictly followed. The health and well-being of our patients and staff remains our top priority and we are making adjustments to ensure your visits to our office... remains safe. Due to the guidelines provided by Alberta Health, we have in place a number of new protocols at the office. You may notice that clinic doors will be locked in order to limit the number of patients within the clinic at any one time. Frame selections may be arranged by appointment. All frames that are touched will be disinfected following a frame selection. Please call the office in advance for eye examinations, any repairs, pick-ups and adjustments. We will not be taking any walk-in appointments for these services. We will booking only one routine examination at a time to eliminate waiting time in our office. This will also allow us to clean and disinfect all equipment between patients. Please arrive 10 minutes before your appointment. Upon arrival, please call and wait outside to confirm with the office of your arrival. We ask that patients enter their clinic by themselves unless they require a caregiver or parent present. We ask patients to bring their own face masks. If you do not have one, we do have some for sale for the appointment. You will also be asked to sanitize your hands upon entering our clinic. We ask if you feel any symptoms such as fever, cough, sore throat, running nose or shortness of breath, kindly reschedule your appointment to another date. If you have travelled outside of Canada within the last 14 days or come into contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19, please self isolate at home for 14 days before scheduling for an appointment. We are committed to the safety of you and your family and our staff. Thank you for your patience and support! https://www.louieeyecarecentre.com/covid19-update

Important facts: 1. Hand hygiene is paramount whether wearing contacts or spectacles 2. SARS-CoV-2 can survive on the plastic and silicone of spectacles for up to three days... Spectacle wearers are more likely to touch their face/eyes than contact lens wearers 3. Switching from contact lenses to spectacles may give a false sense of safety and therefor increase the risk of infection 4. Reusable lenses must be disinfected with hydrogen peroxide solution or other safe chemical with equal disinfecting power 5. Contact lens use must be discontinued if COVID-19 symptoms develop 6. SARS-CoV-2 can be found in tears, but there is no evidence of transmission through tears

Centre for Ocular Research and Education publishes new research on contact lens wear New research from the University of Waterloo Centre for Ocular Research and Education (CORE) advises against switching from contact lenses to spectacles because of COVID-19. The five key points from the research that optometrists can share with patients are: 1. You Can Keep Wearing Contact Lenses. There is currently no scientific evidence that contact lens wearers have an increased risk of... contracting COVID-19 compared with glasses / spectacles wearers. Consult your eye care practitioner with questions. 2. Good Hygiene Habits are Critical. Thorough handwashing and drying are essential, as well as properly wearing and caring for contact lenses, ensuring good contact lens case hygiene, and regularly cleaning glasses / spectacles with soap and water. These habits can help you stay healthy and out of your doctor's office or hospital. 3. Regular Eyeglasses / Spectacles Do Not Provide Protection. No scientific evidence supports rumors that everyday eyeglasses / spectacles offer protection against COVID-19. 4. Keep Unwashed Hands Away from Your Face. Whether you wear contact lenses, glasses / spectacles or require no vision correction at all, avoid touching your nose, mouth and eyes with unwashed hands, consistent with World Health Organization (WHO) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommendations. 5. If You Are Sick, Temporarily Stop Wearing Contact Lenses. Contact lens wearers who are ill should temporarily revert to wearing eyeglasses / spectacles. You can resume use with fresh, new contact lenses and lens cases once you return to full health and have spoken with your eye care practitioner.