Cross-sectional study to determine the prevalence of telogen effluvium among patients experiencing COVID-19 infection or vaccination in Saudi Arabia and Arabic countries

ABSTRACT

Background: Telogen effluvium (TE) after COVID-19 infection or vaccination is a common sequelae in dermatology clinics. Objective(s) to study the prevalence of telogen effluvium in COVID-19 patients and its association with COVID vaccine. Method(s) Cross-sectional study via online questionnaire in Saudi Arabia and other Arabic countries. Result(s) Prevalence of hair loss among COVID-19 patients is ~85% with 45.9% meeting the criteria of TE. Majority of those with high fever associated with COVID-19 developed TE (87.5%). 100% of hospitalized patients exhibited TE with 58% having diffuse hair loss for less than 6 months (acute TE) and 32% for more than 6 months (chronic TE). 63.2% of our participants had hair loss after COVID vaccination regardless of vaccine type with the majority experiencing it after the first dose (55.8%). Limitation(s) The majority of the participants were female. Other factors associated with hair loss were taken into consideration. Conclusion(s) COVID-19 infection and its vaccines carry a high risk for development of telogen effluvium. Copyright © 2022 Ubiquity Press. All rights reserved.