Assessment of hand hygiene strategies on skin barrier function during COVID-19 pandemic: A randomized clinical trial.

INTRODUCTION: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has increased the frequency of handwashing. There is scarce evidence regarding the impact of different hand hygiene procedures on skin barrier function in clinical practice. OBJECTIVE: To compare the impact on skin barrier function of different hand hygiene measures in healthcare workers in daily practice. METHODS: A randomized controlled clinical trial was conducted. Participants were randomized to sanitize their hands with water and soap, alcohol-based hand sanitizers (ABHSs), or disinfectant wipes during their 8-hour working shift. Epidermal barrier functional parameters, such as transepidermal water loss (TEWL), and the microbial load were assessed before and immediately after the working day. Tolerance and acceptability of each product were recorded after work. RESULTS: Sixty-two participants were included and 20, 21, and 21 were randomized to use water and soap, ABHS, and disinfectant wipes, respectively. After the 8-hour shift, TEWL increase was higher with disinfectant wipes than with soaps or ABHS (+5.45 vs +3.87 vs -1.46 g h-1  m-2 , respectively; P = .023). Bacteria and fungi colony-forming unit (CFU) count reductions were lower for the water and soap group than for ABHS and disinfectant wipes. Disinfectant wipes were considered more difficult to use (P = .013) compared with water and soap and ABHS. CONCLUSION: Daily hand hygiene with ABHS showed the lowest rates of skin barrier disruption and the highest reduction of CFU.

[Cutaneous Manifestations Associated with COVID-19: A Narrative Review]. / Manifestações Cutâneas Associadas à COVID-19: Uma Revisão Narrativa.

INTRODUCTION: COVID-19 is an infectious disease caused by the new coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, that has spread rapidly throughout the world. This has resulted in an urgent need to obtain information regarding its pathogenesis, diagnosis and clinical manifestations. More specifically, skin manifestations, seldom reported initially, have been increasingly described. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We performed a literature search in the PubMed database, regarding cutaneous manifestations associated with COVID-19. This article describes the clinical and histological findings of the main skin lesions observed in the context of SARS-CoV-2 infection. DISCUSSION: Cutaneous manifestations associated with COVID-19 have been described in multiple retrospective and prospective studies, case series and case reports. The reported incidence reached 20.4%. Although there was substantial heterogeneity in terms of clinical patterns, the main ones include: erythematous/maculopapular, urticarial, papulovesicular, and purpuric/petechial eruptions, chilblain-like lesions and livedoid/acro-ischemic lesions. In the vast majority, the underlying pathophysiologic mechanisms are not fully understood, although histopathological findings and biomolecular studies can add relevant data. CONCLUSION: The recognition of cutaneous manifestations associated with COVID-19 is of utmost importance. They may help establishing an early diagnosis, namely in oligosymptomatic patients or when confirmatory tests are impossible to perform. Moreover, chilblain-like lesions and acro-ischemia, also seem to play an important role in terms of prognosis.

Introdução: A COVID-19, doença infeciosa causada por um novo coronavírus, SARS-CoV-2, propagou-se rapidamente pelo mundo inteiro, resultando numa necessidade emergente de obtenção de conhecimentos alusivos à sua patogénese, diagnóstico e sintomatologia. Mais especificamente, um número cada vez maior de casos relativos a manifestações cutâneas, previamente desconhecidas, tem vindo a ser descrito.Material e Métodos: Foi realizada uma pesquisa de literatura, através da base de dados PubMed, referente às manifestações dermatológicas associadas à COVID-19. O presente artigo descreve os achados clínicos e histológicos das principais lesões cutâneas observadas em contexto da infeção por SARS-CoV-2.Discussão: Manifestações cutâneas associadas à COVID-19 foram descritas em múltiplos estudos retrospetivos e prospetivos, séries de casos e casos clínicos isolados. A incidência reportada atingiu os 20,4%, verificando-se uma heterogeneidade de padrões clínicos substancial. Destes destacam-se as erupções eritematosas/maculopapulares, urticariformes, papulovesiculares, purpúricas/petequiais, lesões tipo-perniose e lesões livedóides/acro-isquémicas. O conhecimento dos mecanismos fisiopatológicos subjacentes tem vindo a ser enriquecido com achados os histológicos e de biologia molecular.Conclusão: É essencial o reconhecimento das manifestações dermatológicas associadas à COVID-19, uma vez que podem permitir o diagnóstico precoce da infeção, nomeadamente em casos oligossintomáticos ou quando não é possível a realização de testes confirmatórios. Embora menos estabelecido, lesões tipo-perniose e acro-isquémicas, parecem ter também um papel importante a nível prognóstico.

The global impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the management and course of chronic urticaria.

INTRODUCTION: The COVID-19 pandemic dramatically disrupts health care around the globe. The impact of the pandemic on chronic urticaria (CU) and its management are largely unknown. AIM: To understand how CU patients are affected by the COVID-19 pandemic; how specialists alter CU patient management; and the course of CU in patients with COVID-19. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Our cross-sectional, international, questionnaire-based, multicenter UCARE COVID-CU study assessed the impact of the pandemic on patient consultations, remote treatment, changes in medications, and clinical consequences. RESULTS: The COVID-19 pandemic severely impairs CU patient care, with less than 50% of the weekly numbers of patients treated as compared to before the pandemic. Reduced patient referrals and clinic hours were the major reasons. Almost half of responding UCARE physicians were involved in COVID-19 patient care, which negatively impacted on the care of urticaria patients. The rate of face-to-face consultations decreased by 62%, from 90% to less than half, whereas the rate of remote consultations increased by more than 600%, from one in 10 to more than two thirds. Cyclosporine and systemic corticosteroids, but not antihistamines or omalizumab, are used less during the pandemic. CU does not affect the course of COVID-19, but COVID-19 results in CU exacerbation in one of three patients, with higher rates in patients with severe COVID-19. CONCLUSIONS: The COVID-19 pandemic brings major changes and challenges for CU patients and their physicians. The long-term consequences of these changes, especially the increased use of remote consultations, require careful evaluation.