By Mark Tosh
Friday, April 3, 2020 2:58 PM
NEW YORK—Good morning. It’s Saturday, in case you’ve lost track. The start of the weekend and time to take a break and relax. Yes, in fact, it might be a good day to get out and ….. oh, wait. We’re not doing that now. If you’re in New York, New Jersey, New Orleans or many other places around the nation, what you need is a distraction—a fun and tranquil diversion—to get you through the weekend. So here are eight things that we believe will carry you through the weekend and take your mind off that other stuff going on out there. At least it’s a start on what to talk about on your next Zoom happy hour.
By Staff
Friday, April 3, 2020 11:33 AM
You've probably seen this image more times than you can count by now, but where did it come from, and how did it end up as the de facto COVID-19
image? Head over to the
New York Times to learn more about how the CDC's medical illustrators created the now famous image.
By Staff
Friday, April 3, 2020 10:03 AM
NEW YORK—Even in some areas where ECPs are still seeing patients or providing emergency or urgent care, eye clinics are experiencing unwanted and nerve-wracking downtime in the current coronavirus crisis, the team at EyeCarePro.net points out. To help ODs learn ways they can use the downtime to help them effectively plan for the future, EyeCarePro's team hosted a Facebook LIVE event last week. The video session is now archived on the EyeCarePro website here. EyeCarePro covered such topics as using time to make great videos, develop your social media skills and strategy, plan new approaches for optical campaigns and build up referrals networks.
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By Staff
Friday, April 3, 2020 10:00 AM
Italian colored contact lenses brand Desio is supporting the Lombardy Region of Italy in the fight against Coronavirus with a significant donation of €100.000. “Many say that we are at war against an invisible enemy and although I have fortunately not experienced any conflict up close, this is the feeling that takes me every time I learn the numbers of this terrible epidemic from TV or social media,” said CEO Tereza Uhrova. “Giving help to those most in need has always been an integral part of our philosophy and in the face of this emergency which is hitting our country so hard, we cannot stand still and watch. We wanted to do what our hearts told us: to give.”
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By Staff
Thursday, April 2, 2020 11:03 AM
Every dog is cute enough to be a model, and now's their chance. Until April 16, Guide Dogs for the Blind is accepting submissions for its
Puparazzi Photo Contest. There are categories for both Guide Dogs and non-working dogs, and winning dogs will be considered for inclusion in GDB's 2020-2021 calendars. Head over to
Guide Dogs for the Blind to learn all the details.
By Staff
Thursday, April 2, 2020 10:15 AM
MILAN—In an announcement today, the management board of
Mido said that they had made the difficult but unavoidable decision to move the 50th edition of the show to Feb. 6-8, 2021. “The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic in Italy and its swift spread to the rest of the world, along with doubts about when the crisis will normalize globally, have forced us to make the painful, but crucial, decision,” said Mido president Giovanni Vitaloni.
By Staff
Thursday, April 2, 2020 10:03 AM
NEW YORK—There is absolutely no making light of our current situation. The COVID-19 pandemic is an international tragedy, and there’s no denying that—but in times of extreme unhappiness, it’s important and helpful to be positive where and whenever we can in order to help ourselves and those around us get through an otherwise overwhelming period. For ECPs, this pandemic has ultimately meant many practices either have been or will be forced to temporarily close their doors until it is safe to open up once again. In addition, routine eye exams will have to be on pause for the time being. This is devastating for so many of us—but in spite of this, ECPs all around the world have been coming together to spread positivity and messages of help and hope however they can.
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By Staff
Thursday, April 2, 2020 10:00 AM
Several years before Neda Gioia, OD, FOWNS, opened her practice, Integrative Vision in Shrewsbury, New Jersey, she was living in Seattle, Washington, and battling symptoms of her not-yet-diagnosed condition of trigeminal neuralgia. Dr. Gioia saw many doctors but no one could find a solution or provide relief, so she started exploring the concept of functional medicine. She found inspiration in the work of the doctors who tried to determine what was causing her severe pain and symptoms that suddenly disappeared when she was pregnant, only to return again afterward.
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By Staff
Wednesday, April 1, 2020 12:11 PM
Looking for a fun, educational quarantine activity to add to your list? How about learning some Braille? The American Printing House for the Blind shared
instructions for making Braille Cookies this week—the activity is technically for kids, but that's not to say adults can't get involved too. Head over to
their website for the full run-down.
By Staff
Wednesday, April 1, 2020 10:03 AM
For the unprecedented coronavirus pandemic, many independent retailers and ECPs are reeling from painful decisions to temporarily close their businesses or process what to do in the case of a prolonged shutdown and the COVID-19 impact on sales. With social media an essential communication and marketing tool for all businesses, Facebook has amped up several COVID-19 resources on its own
Business Resource Hub. The special site is designed to help small business “manage through and build resilience” during the COVID-19 outbreak.
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By Staff
Wednesday, April 1, 2020 10:00 AM
Sports. It’s a profession, an outlet for stress, an opportunity for weekend warriors to let loose their Herculean strength and endurance, and a major part of so many lives. Vision plays an important role in sport performance, reaction time and color discrimination. This article will explore the visual needs of athletes and how opticians can guide their patient athletes with the best lenses to help them perform at their optimum ability.
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By Staff
Tuesday, March 31, 2020 11:20 AM
This time is scary for all of us, but it poses a particular kind of terror to young children who cannot fully understand what is happening, or why. Although it may feel hopeless, parents can
help their children cope—and doing that might help parents cope as well. Head over to the
National Institute of Mental Health for some tips and tricks on how to support kids through this crisis.
By Staff
Tuesday, March 31, 2020 10:03 AM
Medical doctors have always been part of American political life, from the founding of our nation to the present day. Many physicians have held public office throughout the years on the local, state and national level. A total of 52 physicians have served in the U.S. Senate to date, according to the official Senate website, Senate.gov. Many others have served in the House of Representatives. Currently, there are 18 doctors serving in the 116th Congress, including four who are Senators. This is significant since doctors, particularly those who become lawmakers, can be influential voices in battles over federal health care legislation, one of the most urgent and contentious topics of debate in this election year.
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By Staff
Tuesday, March 31, 2020 10:00 AM
According to our most recent survey of cataract surgeons, new technology like femtosecond cataract surgery is leveling out, while new techniques like the Yamane suturing technique are taking off. Surgeons also say toric intraocular lenses are tops when tackling cylinder, topical drops still rule for postop inflammation/infection control, and quadrant division is best for nucleofractis. In March, 1,698 surgeons of the 11,524 who received the survey opened it (14.7 percent open rate) and, of those, 89 completed the survey. Read on to see how your approach compares to theirs.
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By Staff
Monday, March 30, 2020 12:01 PM
New York City is in crisis, but we can still find good in the world when we look for it. At the Bronx Zoo, zookeepers continue to head into work each day to care for the animals. Head over to the
Bronx Zoo's Twitter account for a look at what the sea lions are getting up to in quarantine.