Coughing and high temperature may be symptomatic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) yet research has shown that so too are ocular manifestations. The eye has been recognized as a possible point of entry into the body, and pink eye or conjunctivitis is included in the World Health Organization’s COVID-19 symptoms list.
Ocular transmission of the coronavirus must thus not be ignored. One research published in the British Medical Journal Open Ophthalmology discovered sore eyes to be the most significant ocular symptom experienced by COVID-19 sufferers. Most times, they may be not so severe thus go unreported, but ocular symptoms are present in four to thirty-one percent of those infected.
In this instance, who better to attend to ocular symptoms than an optometrist.
“An optician can only help you with the basics such as check your eye power. It is the optometrist who can do more for you including a prognosis on serious issues such as diabetic retinopathy, cataract, pink eyes, et cetera. She or he is well-equipped in knowledge and skills to advise you on eye-related matters that may need immediate medical attention,” says Management and Science University (MSU) alumnus Melbans Ooi Joo Liang.
Ooi had come to the Bachelor of Optometry (Hons) programme at the Management and Science University (MSU) Faculty of Health and Life Sciences (FHLS) Department of Optometry and Vision Science (DOVS) as a qualified Fellow of British Dispensing Opticians (FBDO). He had worked a very long time in an optical shop in Penang, constantly dreaming of venturing into entrepreneurship.
“Optometrist service is in demand in Penang, especially at Queensbay Mall, where I work. There are thirteen optical shops in the mall but only one or two optometrists, and still only a few in Malaysia. I had felt that it was my calling to address the lack of awareness about optometry among the general public. I knew it would be a tough leap from opticianry to optometry, so I looked for a university that could help me achieve my dream. I found MSU and was inspired by an academic member to start my journey.”
It was a first step that meant 355 kilometres of travelling from Bayan Lepas in Penang Island to the MSU main campus in Shah Alam Section 13; “Mostly twice a month but sometimes every weekend,” says Melbans Ooi. The adult learner who persevered, then graduated with the MSU Class of 2020, is now Director at De Human Eyes Optometrist.
“One can never be too old to study anything. When I was an optician, I wanted growth opportunities but there were few and far between. That changed when I became an optometrist, capable of all eye-related prognoses. Glad I took that first step into my future now in optometry.”
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Coughing and high temperature may be symptomatic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) yet research has shown that so too are ocular manifestations. The eye has been recognized as a possible point of entry into the body, and pink eye or conjunctivitis is included in the World Health Organization’s COVID-19 symptoms list.
Ocular transmission of the coronavirus must thus not be ignored. One research published in the British Medical Journal Open Ophthalmology discovered sore eyes to be the most significant ocular symptom experienced by COVID-19 sufferers. Most times, they may be not so severe thus go unreported, but ocular symptoms are present in four to thirty-one percent of those infected.
In this instance, who better to attend to ocular symptoms than an optometrist.
“An optician can only help you with the basics such as check your eye power. It is the optometrist who can do more for you including a prognosis on serious issues such as diabetic retinopathy, cataract, pink eyes, et cetera. She or he is well-equipped in knowledge and skills to advise you on eye-related matters that may need immediate medical attention,” says Management and Science University (MSU) alumnus Melbans Ooi Joo Liang.
Ooi had come to the Bachelor of Optometry (Hons) programme at the Management and Science University (MSU) Faculty of Health and Life Sciences (FHLS) Department of Optometry and Vision Science (DOVS) as a qualified Fellow of British Dispensing Opticians (FBDO). He had worked a very long time in an optical shop in Penang, constantly dreaming of venturing into entrepreneurship.
“Optometrist service is in demand in Penang, especially at Queensbay Mall, where I work. There are thirteen optical shops in the mall but only one or two optometrists, and still only a few in Malaysia. I had felt that it was my calling to address the lack of awareness about optometry among the general public. I knew it would be a tough leap from opticianry to optometry, so I looked for a university that could help me achieve my dream. I found MSU and was inspired by an academic member to start my journey.”
It was a first step that meant 355 kilometres of travelling from Bayan Lepas in Penang Island to the MSU main campus in Shah Alam Section 13; “Mostly twice a month but sometimes every weekend,” says Melbans Ooi. The adult learner who persevered, then graduated with the MSU Class of 2020, is now Director at De Human Eyes Optometrist.
“One can never be too old to study anything. When I was an optician, I wanted growth opportunities but there were few and far between. That changed when I became an optometrist, capable of all eye-related prognoses. Glad I took that first step into my future now in optometry.”
RELATED
MSU Diploma in Ophthalmic Dispensing
From university to industry, his success story in optometry
So you want to be an eye-care professional