COVID-19 and dermatology

Area of Science:

• Dermatology
• Infectious Diseases
• Public Health

Background:

• The COVID-19 pandemic, caused by SARS-CoV-2, emerged in late 2019 and rapidly spread globally.
• The World Health Organization declared a pandemic in March 2020.
• Skin manifestations associated with COVID-19 are a significant clinical concern.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate skin diseases linked to COVID-19.
• To categorize skin issues based on their cause: personal protective equipment (PPE) and hygiene, SARS-CoV-2 infection itself, and COVID-19 treatments.

Main Methods:

• A comprehensive literature search was conducted on PubMed and Google Scholar.
• Keywords included "skin lesions," "personal protective equipment," "personal hygiene," "SARS-CoV-2," and "COVID-19 treatment agents."
• Studies focusing on these specific areas were analyzed in detail.

Main Results:

• Personal protective equipment can lead to pressure injuries, contact dermatitis, itching, and urticaria.
• Skin problems related to hygiene include dryness and contact dermatitis.
• COVID-19 infection presents with diverse skin lesions (maculopapular, urticarial, vesicular, chilblain-like, ischemic) with an incidence of 0.2%–29%.
• Skin lesions can sometimes be the first indicator of COVID-19, particularly in asymptomatic or presymptomatic cases.
• Treatment agents for COVID-19 can also cause skin reactions.

Conclusions:

• Skin lesions are a common and varied manifestation of COVID-19.
• Dermatological findings should be carefully assessed in all patients during the pandemic, even without a confirmed COVID-19 diagnosis.
• Recognizing these skin manifestations aids in the diagnosis and management of COVID-19.