Few eye injuries reported after solar eclipse warnings

Few people appear to have suffered eye injuries after Wednesday’s solar eclipse, despite warnings from eye doctors not to look directly at the sun, SVT reports.

A small number of people contacted S:t Erik Eye Hospital in Stockholm after the eclipse. Two said they had a persistent spot in their field of vision and were asked to visit the emergency department for examinations, chief medical officer Anne Odergren told SVT News.

The hospital has not seen an increase in emergency visits linked to the eclipse. Around 20 people in Stockholm County called 1177 with symptoms after watching the moon pass between the sun and Earth. Reported symptoms included spots in the field of vision, diffuse pain and sensitivity to light.

In Skåne, none of the emergency departments in Lund, Malmö, Helsingborg, Kristianstad, Ystad or Trelleborg treated anyone for eclipse-related injuries. The region’s 1177 telephone service received one such call out of about 200 during Thursday morning and late morning.

Västra Götaland Region’s primary care service, which includes health centres and digital care through 1177, reported no unusual increase in calls about eye problems or injuries. No eclipse-related eye injuries were reported at Norrland University Hospital in Umeå or Skellefteå Hospital either.

Several shops ran out of special eclipse glasses before the event, following warnings that looking directly at the sun could damage the eyes.