The number of Hong Kong children suffering from myopia hit a record high during the pandemic. Myopia, also called nearsightedness, is when far- away objects look blurry.
A study looked at 20,527 children aged six to eight between 2015 and 2021. Before the pandemic, 23.8 per cent of children suffered from myopia. But this rose to 36.2 per cent by December 2021.
Researchers said this was because youngsters used screens more and stayed indoors during the pandemic.
Jason Yam is a professor from Chinese University’s department of ophthalmology.
He advised children to go outside for two hours a day. They should keep the book 30cm away from their eyes and avoid reading in the dark.
