Yuga Labs addresses ApeFest ‘vision damage’ issue, community calls out poor management

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Several attendees of Yuga Labs’ ApeFest event on Nov. 4 in Hong Kong reported eye-related issues, including burns, damaged vision and “extreme pain” in their eyes.

Yuga Labs’ official X account has now addressed the issue, claiming they are aware of the reports of potential eye-related issues to many attendees and are investigating the cause behind them.

Yuga Labs claimed that less than 1% of the attendees have experienced eye-related symptoms, and most of the affected attendees are experiencing improvement in their conditions with the passage of time.

The Hong Kong event grabbed most of the headlines and attention of Crypto Twitter over the weekend. Many users came up with different theories behind the eye related injury with one user pointing toward a similar instance six years ago, where during a promotional event, third-party contractors installed disinfecting ultraviolet lights instead of stage lights, leading to similar eye injuries, burning, blindness, photokeratitis

Others pointed out that the effects of the UV lights could last from a couple of hours to a few days depending on the exposure.

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Many on social media platforms were critical of the organizers behind the event, claiming that they should have paid more attention to basic medical hazards with such a setup, and said:

“I can’t imagine paying so much money to be a part of a “club” that overlooks basic medical hazards. I have a Philipps UV Disinfectant lamp in my home, and you’re not even supposed to be in the same room as it when it’s on. It literally says in the instructions to not look at it or be within close proximity as it can also release Ozone, which is toxic/carcinogenic gas.”

Many other attendees blasted Yuga Labs for its mishap, claiming that they had taken out loans to attend the event only to get more “eye-related medical bills I don’t know how to pay.”

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