Patient-Reported Association Between COVID-19 Infection or Vaccination and Onset of Allergic Contact Dermatitis®

Area of Science:

• Dermatology
• Immunology
• Infectious Diseases

Background:

• The COVID-19 pandemic has seen patient reports linking vaccination or infection to allergic contact dermatitis (ACD).
• Limited formal investigation exists regarding COVID-19's role in ACD onset.
• Previous case series noted dermatoses following COVID-19 infection or vaccination.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe patient-reported associations between COVID-19 infection or vaccination and the onset of allergic contact dermatitis (ACD).
• To investigate the potential link between COVID-19 and ACD development.

Main Methods:

• A single-center retrospective chart review was conducted.
• 1073 patients patch tested at a Contact Dermatitis Clinic between March 2020 and March 2022 were included.
• Patient-reported onset of ACD symptoms following COVID-19 infection or vaccination was analyzed.

Main Results:

• 5 patients (0.47%) reported ACD onset after COVID-19 infection.
• 12 patients (1.11%) reported ACD onset after COVID-19 vaccination.
• Clinical relevance rates for ACD attributed to COVID-19 were not significantly different from the general population.

Conclusions:

• This study represents the first investigation into the association between COVID-19 vaccination/infection and ACD development using retrospective chart review.
• A small proportion of patients reported ACD onset post-COVID-19, with no significant difference in clinical relevance compared to the general population.