• Alfonso Savastano, Matteo Ripa, Maria Cristina Savastano, Raphael Kilian, Giorgio Marchini, and Stanislao Rizzo.
• Ophthalmology Unit, "Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS", Rome, Italy.
• Ann. Med. 2021 Dec 1; 53 (1): 134913571349-1357.

PurposeTo evaluate the impact the COVID-19-related national lockdown has had on Ophthalmologic Outpatient Care in an Italian Tertiary Medical Centre.MethodsWe reviewed all the performances that were carried out as outpatient services at our department between 1 January 2020 and 30 November 2020. We compared data among four different periods: from 1 January 2020 to 17 March 2020 ("Pre-Lockdown"); from 18 March 2020 to 17 May 2020 (Lockdown); from 18 May 2020 to 2 November 2020 (Post-Lockdown) and from 3 November 2020 to 30 November 2020 (Regional Lockdown).ResultsThe overall number of performed routine outpatient visits per day (ROVs) was 11,871 (Mean ± SD = 35.76 ± 17.81), whereas booked appointments (BAs) were 21272 (Mean ± SD = 63.86 ± 9.27), meaning a decline in the number of ROVs by 44.01%. (Mean ± SD = 28.10 ± 12.11, p<.001). Post-Lockdown and Regional Lockdown clinical activities, dropped respectively by 31 and 25.14% (38.87 ± 3.88 vs. 56.34 ± 11.06, p<.001 and 6.04 ± 4.51 vs. 56.34 ± 11.06 p<.001). The number of BAs per day decreased during the pandemic, going from a mean of 77.81 ± 2.57 booked appointments per day before the lockdown, to a mean of 53.14 ± 4.94, 61.80 ± 4.62 and 72.07 ± 1.09 appointments per day respectively during the lockdown, the post-lockdown and the regional lockdown periods.ConclusionsDuring the various lockdown periods, at our institution the volume of outpatient ophthalmological visits drastically dropped. This testifies the dramatic impact the COVID-19 pandemic has had on the supply of ophthalmic care.

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