Another 293,000 Americans filed claims, 320,000 expected
Canadian Council of the Blind and Fighting Blindness Canada Release Addendum Report: The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Eye Health Canada
OTTAWA, ON, Oct. 13, 2021 /CNW/ – The Addendum to the Cost of Vision Loss and Blindness in Canada Report ("the Report) estimates 1,437 Canadians lost vision due to delayed eye examinations and delayed treatment in 2020. The COVID-19 pandemic continues to challenge Canadian patients and the health care system. Almost all optometrists' offices were closed during the first lockdown from March to June 2020, with most offices restricting capacity for the rest of 2020. There were close to three million fewer optometry visits in 2020 compared to 2019, which put millions of Canadians at serious risk of losing vision.
Vision loss in Canada is increasing.
There were 335,000 fewer (47 per cent decrease) eye surgeries performed across Canada between March and June of 2020.
An estimated 1,437 people lost vision due to delayed eye examinations and treatments in 2020.
The short and long-term cost brought on by the pandemic goes well into 2023.
It is expected to take two years to clear the additional backlog of cataract surgeries caused by the pandemic.
Between 2021 and 2023, it is estimated that an additional $129 million per year will be required to clear the backlog.
The cost of vision loss in Canada goes well-beyond the health care system.
An increase in wait times for surgery will result in a $1.3 billion increase in the cost of vision health over the next two and a half years.
Though $253.3 million of these costs are direct health care system costs, $1.1 billion result from the loss of well-being.
All Canadians living with eye diseases were impacted by COVID-19. Some had their diagnosis delayed, potentially missing or delaying an opportunity to receive treatment to stabilize their disease. Others were delayed in receiving counselling and support to assist in dealing with the mental, physical and social effects of vision loss.
It is imperative to make eye health and rehabilitation services a population health priority. Visit StopVisionLoss.ca and sign the petition asking the Canadian government to recommit to a national vision health plan today.
Statements:
"We need to make eye health and rehabilitation services a population health priority. It is critical for Canadians to have access to treatment and receive an early diagnosis," says Louise Gillis, immediate past president, Canadian Council of the Blind. "Research shows that three-quarters of causes of vision loss in Canada are preventable, treatable, or reversible. The delays in treatment, and the backlog of appointments, has and will, continue to create long-term impacts on vision health in Canada."
"COVID-19 has, and continues to, affect every Canadian. This report shows the unnecessary impact of COVID-19 on the over 8 million Canadians who are living with a blinding eye disease that puts them at significant risk of going blind. We are calling for a National Vision Health Plan because it would have reduced people losing vision today and in the future." says Doug Earle, President & CEO, Fighting Blindness Canada.
"The COS was pleased to support this critical initiative that helps us understand the impact of COVID-19 on fighting blindness in Canada" says Dr. Colin Mann, president, Canadian Ophthalmological Society.
"Regular and comprehensive eye examinations are essential to combatting vision loss in Canada," says Dr. Harry Bohnsack, president, Canadian Association of Optometrists. "Vision and ocular health conditions are not always accompanied by recognizable symptoms, so there can be an increased risk to the patient if treatment is not initiated in a timely manner."
About the Report
The Canadian Council of the Blind, partnering with Fighting Blindness Canada, and key stakeholders, the Canadian Association of Optometrists and the Canadian Ophthalmological Society, conducted a supplementary study to reveal the astounding impact COVID-19 has had on eye health in Canada.
The Canadian Council of the Blind (CCB) engaged Deloitte Access Economics in December 2020 to provide a contemporary estimate of the annual social and economic cost of vision loss (VL) and blindness in Canada. In support of this report, the CCB partnered with Fighting Blindness Canada and key partners the Canadian Association of Optometrists and the Canadian Ophthalmological Society. The full report on the Cost of Vision Loss and Blindness in Canada using 2019 data was completed in May 2021. During the completion of that earlier document, it became apparent that the COVID-19 pandemic was having a major impact on the findings of the study. It was therefore decided to conduct a supplementary study on the impact of the pandemic in 2020 on the prevalence and cost of VL. The findings of that study are presented as an addendum to the original report. The estimated costs in the report reflect the impact of COVID-19 from March to December of 2020, highlighting aggregated, pan-Canadian effects
About the Canadian Council of the Blind (CCB)
The Canadian Council of the Blind Is the Voice of the Blind™ in Canada, a membership-based charity that brings together Canadians who are living with vision loss, the blind, deaf-blind and the partially sighted. Advocating for its members, the CCB works to promote a sense of purpose and self-esteem along with an enhanced quality of life. Based on belief in ABILITY, not disability Canadian Council of the Blind (CCB) is a vibrant network of active members across Canada. Each chapter is unique to its geographic area and engages in a variety of social and recreational activities based on the interests of their local members. Visit www.ccbnational.net or call 1-877-304-0968 for more information.
About Fighting Blindness Canada (FBC)
Fighting Blindness Canada (FBC) is the largest charitable funder of vision research in Canada. FBC has contributed invested over $40 million to the search for sight-saving cures and treatments research for blinding eye diseases. With the support of its generous donors, FBC has funded over 200 research grants that have led to over 600 discoveries such as stem cell research, neuroprotective therapies, technological developments, pharmaceuticals, and gene therapies. Visit www.fightingblindness.ca or call 1-800-461-3331 to learn more.
About the Canadian Ophthalmological Society (COS)
The Canadian Ophthalmological Society is the national, recognized authority on eye and vision care in Canada. As eye physicians and surgeons, we are committed to assuring the provision of optimal medical and surgical eye care for all Canadians by promoting excellence in ophthalmology and by providing services to support our members in practice. Our membership includes over 900 ophthalmologists and 200 ophthalmology residents. We work collaboratively with government, other national and international specialty societies, our academic communities (ACUPO), our provincial partners and affiliates and other eye care professionals and patient groups to advocate for health policy in Canada in the area of eye and vision health. COS is an accredited, award-winning provider of Continuing Professional Development (CPD) through the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada (RCPSC) and is an affiliate of the Canadian Medical Association (CMA). Visit www.cos-sco.ca to learn more.
About the Canadian Association of Optometrists (CAO)
The Canadian Association of Optometrists (CAO) is the national voice of optometry, providing leadership and support to its members to enhance the delivery of healthy eyes and clear vision for all Canadians. Founded in 1941 and formally incorporated in 1948, CAO is dedicated to collaboratively advancing the highest standard of primary eye care through the promotion of optimal vision and eye health, in partnership with all Canadians. Visit https://opto.ca/ for more information. Visit www.opto.ca for more information.
SOURCE Canadian Council of the Blind
View original content to download multimedia: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/October2021/13/c4617.html
Demand for bidets took off because of toilet-paper shortages — and manufacturers say the market is poised to remain strong
Vitality Products Inc. (TSXV: VPI) (the "Company" or "Vitality") is pleased to announce it's one of four supplement companies and 14 companies invited to present at Nutrition Capital Network's Natural Products Canada Investor Meeting on October 13-14, 2021.
Penn National Gaming (NASDAQ: PENN) operates regional casinos, a mobile sportsbook, and iGaming (online casinos). The company's brick-and-mortar operations suffered losses of revenue and profits at the pandemic's onset when they were forced to close temporarily.
Moderna's (NASDAQ: MRNA) stock has seen better days. Shares of the coronavirus vaccine giant have dropped 30% over the past month. Now, investors have turned their attention to something else: A regulatory meeting that could determine whether Moderna's booster candidate reaches the market in the coming days.
Analysts were split Wednesday as they compared Crispr's gene-edited cancer drug to Allogene's — but CRSP stock tumbled as ALLO stock popped.
Late last month, Pfizer (NYSE: PFE) announced that its drug, abrocitinib, was approved by Japan's Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) as a treatment for patients 12 years old and up with moderate to severe atopic dermatitis or eczema. Japan's regulatory approval of abrocitinib under its trade name of Cibinqo came just weeks after approval by the United Kingdom's Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) for adults and adolescents with moderate to severe eczema. Let's dig into why the MHLW approved the drug for its eczema indication, as well as its sales potential and what it means for Pfizer.
Is AbbVie stock a buy as shares make a comeback on promising news for its drugs, Skyrizi and Rinvoq, in inflammatory conditions?
Take action instead of just crossing off the days until you turn 65.
Shares of Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc. gained 2.7% in premarket trading on Thursday after the company said the Food and Drug Administration accepted its application for approval of its monoclonal antibody treatment for non-hospitalized COVID-19 patients and as a prophylaxis for some people who have been exposed to the virus. The FDA said it will decide whether to approve the therapy by April 13 based on the priority review designation it granted to the application. It plans to hold an advisory
Berlin-based Mayd has spied an opportunity to build out a medicine delivery platform in Europe which partners with the small-scale pharmacies that tend to be the norm on the continent, capitializing on how the pandemic has generally accelerated demand for on-demand delivery. Regulatory restrictions and fragmentation across Europe, with a patchwork of per-country rules around prescriptions, may explain why this use-case hasn't already been sewn up by a handful of pharmacy or platform giants. The picture for medicine delivery in Europe is very different vs the US, per Mayd co-founder Lukas Pieczonka, who notes that a patchwork of rules can apply in different countries in Europe — including (still) some limitations on e-prescriptions.
Oncolytics Biotech® Inc. (NASDAQ: ONCY) (TSX: ONC) today announced that its partner Adlai Nortye has initiated dosing in a bridging clinical trial evaluating the safety, tolerability, and preliminary efficacy of pelareorep-paclitaxel combination therapy in Chinese patients with advanced or metastatic breast cancer.
(Bloomberg) — Crispr Therapeutics AG plunged 8.8% in postmarket trading Tuesday after an experimental blood cancer therapy disappointed investors. That may spell more bad news for a Cathie Wood fund that’s already slid more than 20% this year.Most Read from BloombergHow France Turned the Humble Roundabout Into a Showcase for ArtWhat the Front Line of the U.S. Abortion Fight in Kentucky Looks Like NowWhat Comes After GE’s 129 Years of Greenhouse GasThey Invented the Must-Have Instrument for the
Investing in biotech companies can be hard to figure out. Great science and early-stage success doesn't always translate into drug approvals. In fact, only 10% of drug candidates that enter phase 1 trials will make it to the market.
Black ticks on their foreheads marking the eye to be operated on, dozens of patients in green overalls wait in line, beneficiaries of a pioneering Indian model that is restoring sight to millions.
This week marks another potential watershed moment for Moderna Inc.'s Covid-19 vaccine: A key advisory committee to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is set to meet to discuss so-called "booster shots."
Kelowna, British Columbia – TheNewswire – October 13, 2021 – Lexaria Bioscience Corp. (Nasdaq:LEXX) (Nasdaq:LEXXW) (the “Company” or “Lexaria”), a global innovator in drug delivery platforms is ple…
Dr. Rishi Desai, Chief Medical Officer at Osmosis & Former Center for Disease Control and Prevention Epidemic Intelligence Officer, joins Yahoo Finance to discuss the latest in the coronavirus pandemic.
New Cerner Corp. CEO Dr. David Feinberg extols the progress made in health care, but he notes that patients and providers still must deal with significant hassles, something he intends to have the North Kansas City health IT company ameliorate.
It's often hard to tell if a new medication is working initially. In the first few days of using a new prescription, you may not notice significant improvements in the condition you're trying to treat. However, in the case of one common prescription, you may find yourself not only noticing changes in your condition, but serious health issues, as well. Now, the U.S. Food&Drug Administration (FDA) is telling customers to stop using this popular medication immediately. Read on to discover if your m
For the first time, the Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday authorized an electronic cigarette, saying the vaping device from R.J. Reynolds can help smokers cut back on conventional cigarettes. Facing a court deadline, the FDA has been conducting a sweeping review of vaping products to determine which ones should be allowed to remain on the market. The agency said in September it had rejected applications for more than a million e-cigarettes and related products, mainly due to their potential appeal to underage teens.