Response to letter to the editor

Jui-Yen Lin¹, Wei-Chi Wu^2
1 Department of Ophthalmology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taoyuan, Taiwan
² Department of Ophthalmology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital; College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan

Correspondence Address:
Wei-Chi Wu,
No. 5, Fu-Hsin Road, Department of Ophthalmology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taoyuan
Taiwan

Source of Support: None, Conflict of Interest: None

DOI: 10.4103/tjo.tjo_79_20

1. Besides body temperature measurement by infra-red thermometers, hand disinfection gel or solution-dispensing device was also provided at the entrance of our hospital. All visitors were required to wash their hands before entering the hospital
2. Patients were screened according to their disease courses. During telephone communication, we asked patients whether there was a sudden change of ocular symptoms, such as sudden onset of decreased vision or pain. If there was worsening of symptoms, these patients’ schedule will not be postponed
3. We did not segregate our doctors and nurses into teams because we still had considerable amount of clinical works. However, nurses and optometrists were assigned to stay in the same clinic or examination room to avoid rotation between different clinics, to prevent possible cross-infection. When visiting the clinic, we only allowed one accompanying family in the room. The same strategy was applied for pediatric patients as well, so only a single family member was allowed to our clinic
4. For contact lenses and ophthalmoscopes, we cleaned them with alcohol-contained detergent after each examination. For the items that are autoclavable, such as lid speculums, we prepared multiple sets and they were autoclaved and packed before use
5. (1) For high-risk patients, if the operation was urgent, we will arrange chest X-ray examinations and consult anesthesiologist and infectious disease specialists for further evaluation. If COVID-19 infection could not be totally rule out by clinical features and examinations, antibody and polymerase chain reaction tests will be performed. Operation will be performed only after negative viral tests are confirmed. (2) To decrease surgical time, operations were performed by visiting staffs or senior residents during the pandemic period
6. In Taiwan, due to good control of the pandemic, we did not have problems with storage of donor corneas or amniotic membrane. These materials were still enough for patients who suffered from corneal perforation. We did not change our strategies for dealing with these patients
7. Currently, teleconsultation was only applied for patients who visited our emergency department. We will try to apply this strategy for nonurgent patients.