Occupational Dermatoses Related to Personal Protective Equipment Used During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

The recent coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has led to the dramatic increase in use of personal protective equipment (PPE) among health care providers and the general public. Herein the authors discuss the various occupational dermatoses including allergic and irritant contact dermatitis, acne, seborrheic dermatitis, and rosacea related to frequent handwashing, disinfecting of surfaces, and prolonged wear of various PPE including face masks, gloves, and gowns. The authors provide an overview of published PPE-associated occupational dermatoses during the COVID-19 pandemic and also discuss prevention strategies and treatment options to help patients with these complaints.

Nurses' uncertainty about medical gloves safety during the COVID-19 pandemic.

BACKGROUND: Nurses, as the largest group of health professionals, are at the frontline of the healthcare system in response to COVID-19 epidemic. This study aimed to evaluate the nurses' certainty and satisfaction with medical gloves when exposed to coronavirus in Fars province, south of Iran. METHODS: Using convenience sampling, 400 hospital nurses during the COVID-19 outbreak were selected from eight hospitals of Shiraz University of Medical Sciences (SUMS). A questionnaire about glove reliability, including protection in tasks, durability, integrity and tear resistance, feeling fearful, and focusing on duties, and the nurses' anxiety regarding their infection with coronavirus was distributed to the selected nurses to complete. 375 questionnaires were completed (response rate of 93.75%). Among the participants, 180 (48%) were in the corona section and 195 (52%) were hardly possible to have contact with coronavirus pneumonia patients. RESULTS: The mean score (SD) of anxiety about infection with COVID-19 for nurses in the COVID-19 section and those in the non-COVID-19 section were 6.08 (2.8) and 4.56 (2.58), respectively (p<0.05). The mean duration of gloves usage in a day was almost similar in the two groups (about 5h), but the number of glove replacements was significantly higher among the nurses in the corona section (6 times) compared to those in the non-corona section (3 times). The two groups were also significantly different regarding glove protection in daily tasks and glove durability. CONCLUSION: The nurses in the corona section had more concerns about medical gloves as a type of personal protective equipment. In addition to health education on controlling and preventing the spread of diseases, raising awareness about the reliability of personal protective equipment can improve nurses' performance.

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on children with psoriasis.

BACKGROUND: Children with psoriasis may have been directly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and their illness may also have affected their ability to follow preventive measures. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on children with psoriasis. METHODS: A survey of children (<18 years) with psoriasis, conducted from June 10 to June 29, 2020. RESULTS: In total, 92 children were included: 71.7% had psoriasis lesions at the time of home lockdown while 45.2% were receiving systemic treatments, and two contracted COVID-19. During lockdown, psoriasis worsened in 47.3% of the children and 18.8% stopped their systemic treatments, mainly for reasons linked to the pandemic. A total of 41.3% had a consultation for psoriasis during lockdown (71.1% by teleconsultation): 39.5% due to worsening of their psoriasis and 21.1% for pandemic-related issues. Among patients not having a consultation during lockdown, 27.5% had a cancellation by the doctor and 9.3% had concerns over going to see the doctor. Finally, 22.8% of patients reported finding it difficult to respect hygiene measures because of their psoriasis, e.g., application of alcohol-based hand sanitizers (47.6%), handwashing routines (42.9%), and wearing a mask (28.6%). CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates the major clinical impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on children with psoriasis. Teleconsultations played a key role in patient management as regards patient monitoring, provision of information, and renewal of treatments. It is vital that we learn from these data to improve and adapt the monitoring of chronic dermatoses in both children and adults in the event of a future health crisis.

Relationship between hand hygiene and cutaneous findings during COVID-19 pandemic.

BACKGROUND: In the current situation of the COVID-19 pandemic, healthcare workers (HCWs) have to comply with hygiene conditions and use gloves more frequently and for a longer period of time than they would previously to avoid infection and prevent transmission. AIMS: We aimed to characterize the adverse skin reactions occurring after hand hygiene and glove use in HCWs in a tertiary university hospital to determine the possible causative factors and whether the use of these measures is affected. METHODS: Between April 15 and May 1, 2020, a cross-sectional survey was conducted, using online questionnaire, answered by HCWs in a tertiary university hospital. RESULTS: The increase in general hand-skin problems during the pandemic period was statistically significant (P = .004). The most common symptom was dryness. During the pandemic period, 67 (24.3%) HCWs thought that the conditions were caused by glove use, and 197 (71.4%) thought that they were due to alcohol-based hand antiseptics. The incidence of other hand-skin conditions except for vesicles was statistically higher in women than in men (P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: Increased number of hand-skin conditions during the pandemic should not be ignored, since hand hygiene and glove use are expected to increase.