The Effects of Changing Lifestyle and Daily Behaviors in the First Months of COVID-19 Outbreak on Dermatological Diseases: Retrospective Cross-Sectional Observational Study
January 2022
in “
Turkiye Klinikleri Journal of Dermatology
”
TLDR Lifestyle changes during the early COVID-19 outbreak led to more cases of acne and other skin conditions, but fewer cases of rosacea and skin infections.
This retrospective cross-sectional observational study, conducted during the first months of the COVID-19 outbreak, investigated the impact of lifestyle changes on dermatological diseases. The study involved 454 patients in 2020 and 2,903 patients in 2019, all of whom visited a dermatology outpatient clinic between March 11 and April 30. The findings revealed a decrease in hospital admissions for those under 20 years old, but a significant increase in the frequency of acne, psoriasis, urticaria, drug eruptions, dermatitis, eczema, and alopecia areata. Conversely, the frequency of rosacea, bacterial infections, fungal infections, xerosis cutis, and admissions due to benign skin diseases significantly decreased. The study concluded that understanding these effects could aid in preventing and treating dermatological comorbidities during similar outbreaks.