Paper Title
Ocular, Ergonomics and Mental Issues of Online Medical Teaching during Covid-19 Pandemic

Abstract
Purpose: To deliver educational curriculum to students, online learning has emerged as a new modality of teaching during Covid-19 pandemic. The aim of this study was to document the ocular, ergonomical and mental health issues among undergraduate medical students due to online teaching programs. Methods:This cross-sectional observational study undertook an e-survey for undergraduate medical students. An online survey link was mailed to students. A follow-up survey with same questions was mailed 6 months later to same set of students and responses were compared. Results:201/385(52.2%) students responded to the first survey,212/385(55.06%) students responded to follow-up survey. The mean age of the study population was 21.42 ± 1.69 years.34.8%students spent more than 4 hours per day on online classes in primary survey in comparison to 52.3% students in the follow up survey. The follow up survey had a significant increase in number of students with eye strain as compared to primary survey (78.77%v/s52.2%). Nearly two third of participants in both surveys had increase in body weight due to prolonged sitting.79% of participants in both surveys had disturbed sleep patterns, and around 72% experienced depression and loneliness. Conclusion: Regular and prolonged usage of e-learning platforms can have a deleterious effect on health. Modification of the learning environment and measures like frequent blinking, correct posture and healthy interaction with peers can mitigate these symptoms. Keywords - Online learning, Covid19, Computer vision syndrome, Smartphones, Mental aspects