Allergenic Effect of Facemasks Used Due To Covid-19 Pandemic

ABSTRACT

We aim to discuss the prevalence of adverse skin reactions to facemask among the community admitted to our hospital during the SARS outbreak. Between 2019 and 2020, 97 patients who developed an allergic reaction on their face in the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic were discussed. The average age of the patients was 37.7 (range 18-78), while the average age was 35.2 for males and 40.04 for females. While 13 (27.7%) of the male patients were using cloth masks, 34 (72.3%) of them were using surgical masks, 11 (22%) of the female patients were using cloth masks and 39 (78%) of them were using surgical masks.The combination of the female gender, additional disease, and surgical mask contributes to the development of allergic reactions on the face.