(Langis Michaud/ The Conversation) — Léa hated 2020. She missed out on a high school graduation ceremony, a class trip to Spain and her graduation dance. She was also deprived of the excitement that came with starting college — the welcome parties, living her first moments of adult life, taking responsibility for her career and life choices — and just having more freedom.
Instead, Léa spent hours staring at her tablet and her computer, whether it was to do online courses, watch a TV show like Pandemic or catch up with her friends. The year ended in a blur — not the blur of an uncertain future, but a very real, tangible blur. Today, whenever she tries to read, work or concentrate for long periods of time, her eyes become watery, strained and hot. She has a migraine headache by the end of the day. That’s what made Léa decide to consult an optometrist for the first time in years.
Prior to 2020, Léa’s vision had seemed perfect, although asymptomatic might actually be a more accurate description. Today she worries about changes and fluctuations in her vision, and wonders what’s causing these problems. She is even mulling over the idea of launching a class action lawsuit, realizing that she is not the only one whose vision is suddenly deteriorating. Some authors are calling this a public health issue. Even Martha Stewart claimed the pandemic was causing an outbreak of vision problems. (…)