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Can you see an optician at this time? (Picture: Getty Images)

Speculation over whether coronavirus can affect your eyesight has been rife since Dominic Cummings claimed he made a trip to Barnard Castle during lockdown amid concerns Covid-19 had affected his eyesight.

Boris Johnson has also suggested his vision had been affected by the virus, after saying in Mondays press briefing that he has had to wear glasses for the first time in years.

All of which may have left others wondering about their own vision, and whether it might have been affected but can you currently go to an optician for an eye test?

Heres what you need to know

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All routine eye tests have been suspended in the wake of lockdown so if you had an eye test booked chances are it wont have happened.

However, some opticians have remained open during this time, with the Government having classed them as being among essential services but only to provide urgent or emergency care where needed, to alleviate pressure on GPs, hospital eye departments and A&E departments.

SpecSavers are among those who have kept some of their branches open for this but have emphasised on their website they have only remained open when it is safe for both our customers and colleagues.

Vision Express are also open for urgent and emergency appointments, with Asda Opticians and Boots Opticians and among others who have remained open for this purpose only but not all branches are open.

In all cases, you are advised not to visit an optician directly, but to to call your local branch if you have a problem, so they can assess your situation and whether or not you need to be seen face to face, either at their branch if its open, or elsewhere.

If your local optician is an independent or belongs to another chain you should also call first to discuss the nature of the problem, and to confirm whether they are open for appointments at this time.

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An urgent or emergency appointment is classed as one where you might need immediate clinical help such as having red eyes, contact lens discomfort, a foreign object in the eye, a sudden change in vision or unexpected flashers or floaters in the eye.

If your glasses or contact lenses are broken and you need replacements, most opticians are currently delivering these to peoples homes free of charge, so that they do not have to visit the branch to collect them.

MORE: Passenger with poor eyesight killed by train after falling from platform

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Are opticians open and can you get an eye test? - Metro.co.uk

This entry was posted on June 1, 2020 at 6:47 pm and is filed under Eye Sight & Vision. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed. |