Contact lens practice, patients and pandemic: How have priorities changed?

Contact lenses (CLs) and the Covid-19 pandemic; the interaction of these two subjects have been heavily discussed by the vision care industry over the past two years. From an optical industry point of view, it has been a convoluted journey, dealing with huge changes and interpreting guidelines and advice to help enable patients and staff to be kept safe from the virus, while continuing to provide essential optical services to communities. As part of the lockdown restrictions, an understanding of red, amber and green phases, introduced by the College of Optometrists, has been undertaken with practices adapting practically to accommodate ever-changing safety measures. Staff shortages, backlogs of patients and travel restrictions on public transport for commuting, have all been part of a daily concern for many. However, as the country emerges from the grip of the worst of the restrictions, it is vital to understand how public attitudes have changed, how practice processes have changed to accommodate this, and then to question, do the two align?