Disturbing Articles Online - COVID AMD Relationship
I am very upset about some articles I have read recently online stating that the people with wet macular degeneration have shown that they react very poorly to infections with COVID-19 saying that they are more likely to be intubated and that they are more likely to die and die fast.
Nothing said about the protection of the 3 vaccines as I have received. They said that age had nothing to do with it or gender. They did not give much of a reason.
Edie Laude
I haven't seen any myself, but I'll have a look today. Were the articles from reputable sources such as universities, hospitals etc? Wendy, Advocate. I did find an article in Optometry Australia that mentions a study done in a New York hospital which found just what you mentioned. I don't have the scientific skills to vouch for the veracity of this study, but it does appear to be something we should take note of. https://www.optometry.org.au/coronavirus/amd-patients-at-higher-risk-of-severe-complications-including-death-from-covid-19/ Was this the study you read about? Wendy, Advocate. I saw this Australian one which was not as dry cut as most of the other ones. I did read one from American Academy of Ophthalmology in San Francisco which said that the source of this article used too small a group of people to come to conclusion of this sort . And a lot more research with a larger group would be necessary. It made me feel better. These sort of cavalier articles are cruel and should be taken off the internet.
Thanks for your input
Edie Laude
Dear Brown Eyed Girl:
I found the piece from AAO;
Possible link between COVID, inflammation and macular degeneration
Researchers studied 6,398 people infected with COVID during the first wave of the pandemic. Patients with AMD were three times more likely to die than those without AMD, and died more quickly. One out of five patients with AMD required intubation.But experts point out that the study was small and included only 88 patients with AMD. It’s not clear what type of AMD or what stage of disease those patients had. A larger and more detailed study is needed to clarify the risk of COVID complications in people with AMD.
Edie Laude
I agree this type article can be scary. One important fact to note is that AMD is usually found in older people that may also have one or more chronic conditions such as heart disease or diabetes. I read about these articles early on and made my decision to get vaccinated and follow other guidelines to avoid getting the virus. I hope you can find peace and not get too stressed about the articles. Best wishes, Sharon Moore advocate
