Pandemic tie to vision issues seen in Chinese kids’ study

By LINDSEY TANNER
AP Medical Writer

Research suggests vision problems increased among Chinese schoolchildren during pandemic restrictions and online learning. Eye specialists think the same may have happened to many U.S. kids. A report published Thursday echoes results from two earlier Chinese studies. Researchers in China compared data from eye exams given a year apart to about 2,000 children, starting in second grade. Nearsightedness increased in both groups but went up more in kids retested after the pandemic. The condition causes distant objects to appear blurry and affects about 30% of the world’s population.