COVID-19 lockdown, personal protective equipment, hyper-hygiene and allergy

Gennaro Liccardi gennaro.liccardi51@gmail.com¹, Maria Beatrice Bilò^2,3, Manlio Milanese⁴, Matteo Martini^2,5, Gloria Pane⁶, Anna De Maio⁷, Paola Rogliani^1,6

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Doi
10.23822/EurAnnACI.1764-1489.243

Summary
At the beginning of SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, in the absence of "targeted" therapies, the national health authorities have introduced some measures aimed at reducing the spread of infection in the community (lockdown, social distancing, personal protective equipment (PPE), personal hygiene and disinfection of living environments). All the containment measures have led to both positive and negative effects in patients with allergic diseases. We believe that further studies should be undertaken to investigate the possible correlations between SARS-CoV-2 infection and allergy, from a broader perspective. In particular, the risk factors for the development of undesirable effects should be investigated, especially in healthcare professionals forced to use PPE and sanitizing agents for a long time. However, since the COVID-19 pandemic probably will not be short-lived, the use of such protective aids will necessarily be widespread even in the general population. Therefore, further studies onthe materials used for the production of PPE and sanitizing agents would be necessary to reduce their sensitizing and, in some cases, toxic potential.

Key words
Allergic rhinitis; allergy; bronchial asthma; contact dermatitis; COVID-19; face masks; hypersensitivity; hyper-hygiene; lockdown; personal protective equipment (PPE); disinfection; SARS-CoV-2.

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