Corrigendum: Ocular effects caused by viral infections and corresponding vaccines: An overview of varicella zoster virus, measles virus, influenza viruses, hepatitis B virus, and SARS-CoV-2.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2022.999251.].

Ocular effects caused by viral infections and corresponding vaccines: An overview of varicella zoster virus, measles virus, influenza viruses, hepatitis B viruses, and SARS-CoV-2.

Many viral infections can affect vision and the visual system. Vaccination to prevent diseases is commonplace today, acting by stimulating an immune response without developing the pathology. It involves the production of persisting antibodies against the pathogen and the activation of T cells. Certain diseases have already been eradicated by rigorous vaccination campaigns, while others are hoped to be eliminated soon. Vaccines currently available on the market are largely safe, even if they can rarely cause some adverse effects, such as ocular complications. Analyzing existing literature, we aimed to compare the pathological effects on the eye due to the most common viral infections [in particular varicella zoster virus (VZV), measles virus, influenza viruses, hepatitis B virus, and SARS-CoV-2] with the possible ocular adverse effects of their relative vaccines, in order to establish a risk-benefit relationship from an ophthalmological point of view.

The Prevalence of Teleophthalmology in the Piedmont Region of Italy: Current Situation and Future Perspectives.

PURPOSE: This cross-sectional study aims to evaluate the actual prevalence of telemedicine, with a particular attention to teleophthalmology programs, in the Piedmont region of Northern Italy and investigate the prospects of the discipline, comparing the situation with the rest of Italy. Information about the current teleophthalmological development is important to assess the state-of-the-art of innovation in medicine in different areas of the world so that there can be a healthy comparison and evaluation of progress and backlog. METHODS: We sent questionnaires to every Local Healthcare Authority and gathered the answers in five distinct categories. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we collected information by telephone. We investigated five primary areas: what type of telemedicine services are currently in operation, how they are managed, the presence of any evaluation of patient satisfaction and cost-savings, and the prospects of future teleophthalmology programs to be implemented. RESULTS: Only 2% of the total telemedicine programs are in the field of ophthalmology. The greater parts are in the field of cardiology (15%) and endocrinology (13%). Currently, only one program of teleophthalmology exists in the territory, and at least four more projects are waiting to be approved or funded. Surveys about patient satisfaction were not provided and there was no evidence of cost-saving. CONCLUSIONS: Teleophthalmology in Piedmont is slowly developing, although there is a lack of a unified network for storing and managing patients' data. During the COVID-19 pandemic, telemedicine usage drastically increased, and there is a need to evaluate this trend to understand its place in the future of medicine.