Subject(s)
Allergy and Immunology , Angioedemas, Hereditary , Biomedical Research , Abdominal Pain/etiology , Angioedemas, Hereditary/complications , Angioedemas, Hereditary/diagnosis , Angioedemas, Hereditary/immunology , Angioedemas, Hereditary/therapy , Anti-Allergic Agents/administration & dosage , Decision Making, Shared , Epinephrine/administration & dosage , Food Hypersensitivity/diagnosis , Food Hypersensitivity/immunology , Food Hypersensitivity/therapy , Humans , Patient Participation , Quality of LifeABSTRACT
Given the current lack of a therapeutic vaccine for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), preventive measures including mask wearing are crucial in slowing the transmission of cases. However, prolonged wearing of protective respirators, medical and fabric masks can easily generate excessive sweating, moisture and friction. Closed and warm environments heighten the skin's permeability and sensitivity to physical or chemical irritants, leading to chronic cumulative irritant contact dermatitis or, rarely, even allergic contact dermatitis. Although not representing a life-threatening condition, contact dermatitis can have a significant impact on emergency management, as it is potentially able to reduce work performance and create emotional discomfort due to the involvement of evident body areas. To minimize the skin breakdown, adherence to standards on wearing protective and safe equipments and avoidance of overprotection should be performed. At the same time, some measures of skin care are recommended. Here, we offer some tips on how to prevent and manage contact dermatitis due to masks not only in health care workers, but also in the general population during this COVID-19 outbreak.
Subject(s)
COVID-19/prevention & control , Dermatitis, Contact/prevention & control , Dermatitis, Occupational/prevention & control , Facial Dermatoses/prevention & control , Infectious Disease Transmission, Patient-to-Professional/prevention & control , Inhalation Exposure/prevention & control , Masks/adverse effects , N95 Respirators/adverse effects , Skin Care , Administration, Cutaneous , Adrenal Cortex Hormones/administration & dosage , Anti-Allergic Agents/administration & dosage , Anti-Bacterial Agents/administration & dosage , COVID-19/transmission , Dermatitis, Contact/diagnosis , Dermatitis, Contact/etiology , Dermatitis, Occupational/diagnosis , Dermatitis, Occupational/etiology , Facial Dermatoses/diagnosis , Facial Dermatoses/etiology , Humans , Inhalation Exposure/adverse effects , Occupational Health , Protective Factors , Risk Assessment , Risk Factors , Treatment OutcomeSubject(s)
Anti-Allergic Agents/administration & dosage , COVID-19/immunology , Chronic Urticaria/drug therapy , Omalizumab/administration & dosage , Symptom Flare Up , COVID-19/complications , COVID-19/diagnosis , COVID-19/virology , Chronic Urticaria/immunology , Female , Humans , Injections, Subcutaneous , Lung/diagnostic imaging , Middle Aged , SARS-CoV-2/immunology , SARS-CoV-2/isolation & purification , Time Factors , Tomography, X-Ray Computed , Treatment OutcomeABSTRACT
This is a case of a patient who presented with an urticarial rash 48 hours before developing symptoms of fever and a continuous cough. She subsequently developed angioedema of her lips and hands before testing positive for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. Urticarial rashes occurring 48 hours before other symptoms of COVID-19 infection have been documented. This case demonstrates the importance of heightened awareness that not all urticarial rashes represent spontaneous urticaria and as a consequence, this may result in misdiagnosis and ultimately delayed diagnosis. This is the first reported case in the literature of urticaria with angioedema as a prodromal phenomenon of COVID-19.