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

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 on the materials used for the production of PPE and sanitizing agents would be necessary to reduce their sensitizing and, in some cases, toxic potential.

[1]  G. Liccardi,et al.  Face masks during COVID-19 pandemic lockdown and self-reported seasonal allergic rhinitis symptoms. , 2021, Rhinology.

[2]  M. Goldberg,et al.  Home epinephrine-treated reactions in food allergy oral immunotherapy , 2021, Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology.

[3]  H. Harapan,et al.  The role of disinfectants and sanitizers during COVID-19 pandemic: advantages and deleterious effects on humans and the environment , 2021, Environmental Science and Pollution Research.

[4]  N. Quaranta,et al.  COVID-19 lockdown and seasonal allergic rhinitis: our experience in 40 patients , 2021, Acta bio-medica : Atenei Parmensis.

[5]  I. Dalal,et al.  Food allergic reactions during the Covid‐19 pandemic lockdown in Israeli children , 2021, Pediatric allergy and immunology : official publication of the European Society of Pediatric Allergy and Immunology.

[6]  A. Wysong,et al.  What Is New in Occupational Allergic Contact Dermatitis in the Year of the COVID Pandemic? , 2021, Current Allergy and Asthma Reports.

[7]  O. Amir,et al.  How face masks influence the sinonasal quality of life during the COVID-19 pandemic , 2021, European Archives of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology.

[8]  M. Sofiev,et al.  Higher airborne pollen concentrations correlated with increased SARS-CoV-2 infection rates, as evidenced from 31 countries across the globe , 2021, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

[9]  N. Ali,et al.  Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Indoor Dust Collected during the COVID-19 Pandemic Lockdown in Saudi Arabia: Status, Sources and Human Health Risks , 2021, International journal of environmental research and public health.

[10]  J. Koh,et al.  Appropriate attitude promotes mask wearing in spite of a significant experience of varying discomfort , 2021, Infection, Disease & Health.

[11]  C. Ozdemir,et al.  ‘Stay at home’: Is it good or not for house dust mite sensitized children with respiratory allergies? , 2021, Pediatric allergy and immunology : official publication of the European Society of Pediatric Allergy and Immunology.

[12]  M. Greenhawt,et al.  Paediatric allergy practice in the era of coronavirus disease 2019. , 2021, Current opinion in allergy and clinical immunology.

[13]  Á. Cruz,et al.  Is asthma a risk factor for coronavirus disease-2019 worse outcomes? The answer is no, but …. , 2021, Current opinion in allergy and clinical immunology.

[14]  M. Corazza,et al.  Severe contact urticaria, mimicking allergic contact dermatitis, due to a surgical mask worn during the COVID‐19 pandemic , 2021, Contact dermatitis.

[15]  J. Lelieveld,et al.  Air pollution declines during COVID-19 lockdowns mitigate the global health burden , 2020, Environmental Research.

[16]  Monica Gupta,et al.  An Otorhinolaryngologists Perspective on Using Face Masks by Health Care Professionals Based on an Online Survey , 2020, Indian Journal of Otolaryngology and Head & Neck Surgery.

[17]  Vineet Sinha,et al.  Trend of Allergic Rhinitis Post COVID-19 Pandemic: A Retrospective Observational Study , 2020, Indian Journal of Otolaryngology and Head & Neck Surgery.

[18]  K. Hörmann,et al.  A new form of irritant rhinitis to filtering facepiece particle (FFP) masks (FFP2/N95/KN95 respirators) during COVID-19 pandemic , 2020, World Allergy Organization Journal.

[19]  Todor A Popov,et al.  Medical devices in allergy practice , 2020, The World Allergy Organization journal.

[20]  O. Gallo,et al.  The impact of lockdown on allergic rhinitis: What is good and what is bad? , 2020, Laryngoscope investigative otolaryngology.

[21]  A. Dror,et al.  Reduction of allergic rhinitis symptoms with face mask usage during the COVID-19 pandemic , 2020, The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology: In Practice.

[22]  C. C. Oh,et al.  Contact Dermatitis from Hand Hygiene Practices in the COVID-19 Pandemic. , 2020, Annals of the Academy of Medicine, Singapore.

[23]  N. Quaranta,et al.  COVID‐19: When dust mites and lockdown create the perfect storm , 2020, Laryngoscope investigative otolaryngology.

[24]  C. Dunnick,et al.  Hand hygiene during COVID-19: Recommendations from the American Contact Dermatitis Society , 2020, Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology.

[25]  R. Hendriks,et al.  Asthma exacerbation prevalence during the COVID-19 lockdown in a moderate-severe asthma cohort , 2020, BMJ Open Respiratory Research.

[26]  Anushruti Ashok,et al.  Consequences of chemical impact of disinfectants: safe preventive measures against COVID-19 , 2020, Critical reviews in toxicology.

[27]  N. Kushnir-Sukhov A Novel Link between Early Life Allergen Exposure and Neuroimmune Development in Children. , 2020, Journal of clinical & experimental immunology.

[28]  O. Gallo,et al.  Global lockdown, pollution, and respiratory allergic diseases: Are we in or are we out? , 2020, Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology.

[29]  T. Smart,et al.  Assessment of the Wearability of Facemasks against Air Pollution in Primary School-Aged Children in London , 2020, International journal of environmental research and public health.

[30]  J. Lambert,et al.  Surgical mask dermatitis caused by formaldehyde (releasers) during the COVID‐19 pandemic , 2020, Contact dermatitis.

[31]  L. French,et al.  Onset of occupational hand eczema among healthcare workers during the SARS‐CoV‐2 pandemic: Comparing a single surgical site with a COVID‐19 intensive care unit , 2020, Contact dermatitis.

[32]  C. Jayadev,et al.  Sanitizer aerosol-driven ocular surface disease (SADOSD)—A COVID-19 repercussion? , 2020, Indian journal of ophthalmology.

[33]  M. Balkhyour,et al.  Occupational exposure and respiratory health of workers at small scale industries , 2020, Saudi journal of biological sciences.

[34]  C. Akdis,et al.  Pollen exposure weakens innate defense against respiratory viruses , 2019, Allergy.

[35]  G. Liccardi,et al.  Allergy in adolescent population (14-18 years) living in Campania region (Southern Italy). A multicenter study. , 2019, European annals of allergy and clinical immunology.

[36]  E. Alizadeh,et al.  The avian influenza H9N2 at avian-human interface: A possible risk for the future pandemics , 2016, Journal of research in medical sciences : the official journal of Isfahan University of Medical Sciences.

[37]  P. Cullinan,et al.  Respiratory protective equipment reduces occurrence of sensitization to laboratory animals. , 2014, Occupational medicine.

[38]  S. Higaki,et al.  The Reductive Effect of an Anti-pollinosis Mask against Internal Exposure From Radioactive Materials Dispersed From the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Disaster , 2013, Health physics.

[39]  P. Teunis,et al.  Professional and Home-Made Face Masks Reduce Exposure to Respiratory Infections among the General Population , 2008, PloS one.

[40]  K. Okubo,et al.  Inhibitory effects of facemasks and eyeglasses on invasion of pollen particles in the nose and eye: a clinical study. , 2005, Rhinology.

[41]  M. Kogevinas,et al.  Asthma, chronic bronchitis, and exposure to irritant agents in occupational domestic cleaning: a nested case-control study , 2005, Occupational and Environmental Medicine.

[42]  G. D'Amato,et al.  Parietaria pollinosis: clinical and epidemiological aspects. , 1996, Allergy and asthma proceedings.