Increased screen time during pandemic linked to rise in short-sightedness among children, study suggests

Researchers warn that childhood myopia is ‘a potential public health crisis as a result of Covid-19’, Andy Gregory reports

Living under pandemic restrictions has brought about a sharp rise in the amount of screen time and a significant drop in time spent playing outdoors (AFP/Getty)

Lifestyle changes driven by the coronavirus pandemic have been linked to a possible rise in short-sightedness among children in a new study.

Analysing children in Hong Kong between the ages of six and eight, researchers found a potential increase in cases of myopia after the pandemic struck.

They also found a sharp rise in the amount of screen time and a significant drop in time spent playing outdoors.