How has the COVID-19 pandemic affected daily practice for retina specialists?

Mark Breazzano, MD: Yeah, I think we're still feeling some of the effects from the pandemic with certain infection control measures right now; for example, we're still wearing masks, even though as we know, the Centers for Disease Control has recommended not really enforcing mask wearing in the public space as much. But in the health care facilities, it's still important that we're minimizing that risk of transmission. And so some of these measures include social distancing, and, for example, COVID testing during surgeries, preoperative visits is also still ongoing, too.

I know some of my colleagues out there, depending on where they're practicing, either regionally or type of practice setting, some of them aren't even doing routine COVID testing beforehand. But for example, we recently just tapered back from patients with monitored anesthesia care. Those patients, for example, don't need COVID testing; however, those with general anesthesia do. So I think we're feeling the effects in kind of different ways. And sometimes, it can still, you know, offer a little bit of obstacles for patients and our staff and doctors in terms of getting the care and doing it in a smooth transition for everyone during their either perioperative course, or clinical course. You know, we're all treading new water in terms of how we're progressing through this pandemic.

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