1. Cutaneous adverse effects due to personal protective measures during COVID-19 pandemic: a study of 101 patients.
- Author
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Mushtaq S, Terzi E, Recalcati S, Salas-Alanis JC, Amin S, and Faizi N
- Subjects
- Adult, COVID-19 epidemiology, COVID-19 transmission, COVID-19 virology, Communicable Disease Control instrumentation, Communicable Disease Control standards, Cross-Sectional Studies, Dermatitis, Contact etiology, Dermatitis, Occupational etiology, Female, Hand Hygiene methods, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Personal Protective Equipment standards, SARS-CoV-2 pathogenicity, Soaps adverse effects, Young Adult, COVID-19 prevention & control, Dermatitis, Contact epidemiology, Dermatitis, Occupational epidemiology, Hand Hygiene standards, Pandemics prevention & control, Personal Protective Equipment adverse effects
- Abstract
Background: Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a viral illness caused by the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 which spreads via droplets from an infected person. There has been an unprecedented rise in the use of personal protective equipment and practice of personal hygiene measures against COVID-19. The extended use of protective measures (PM) can lead to ill effects on the skin. Our aim was to investigate PM-induced dermatoses amongst healthcare workers and the general population during the COVID-19 pandemic., Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted over a period of 2 months. The study subjects were patients who presented to dermatology outpatient clinics or sought teleconsultation for skin problems related to the use of PMs against COVID-19. A detailed history was obtained and cutaneous examination was documented for all the patients in a pre-set proforma. Diagnoses of the adverse skin effects were formulated based upon history and clinical examination., Results: A total of 101 cases with cutaneous adverse effects due to the use of PMs against COVID-19 were included in the study. The general population and healthcare workers were affected similarly, comprising of 54.5% and 45.5%, respectively. The mean age of the study participants was 36.71 ± 15.72 years. The most common culprit material was soap and water (56.4%). Contact dermatitis was found to be the most common adverse effect in the majority of our patients (72.3%). The most common symptom reported was pruritus (45.5%). The wearing of personal protective equipment for a longer duration was significantly associated with multiple symptoms (P = 0.026)., Conclusion: The enhanced use of different PMs against COVID-19 can result in a variety of adverse skin effects. In our study, the use of soap and water was the most common culprit PM, and contact dermatitis was the most common adverse effect noted., (© 2020 the International Society of Dermatology.)
- Published
- 2021
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