Management of Allergic Diseases During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Systematic Review

Abstract

In addition to the COVID-19 pandemic, there is another pandemic on Earth, which is inexorably gaining momentum. The World Health Organization has called the XXI century the “century of allergy”. An increase in morbidity is recorded everywhere (up to 40 % of patients), every third inhabitant of the planet suffers from allergic rhinitis and every tenth — from asthma. Currently, it is known that allergic reactions are observed in 0.2–20.4 % of patients with coronavirus infection. Allergic symptoms in those infected with coronavirus manifest themselves in different ways and can serve as markers of the severity of the disease. This article provides information about the possible impact of coronavirus infection on the course of the most common allergic conditions, such as bronchial asthma and urticaria. The search for publications was carried out in Russian and English in the databases PubMed, Google Scholar, eLibrary.ru and “CyberLeninka” from January 1, 2019 to April 1, 2023, using keywords: “bronchial asthma”, “urticaria”, “COVID-19”, “coronavirus infection”. In accordance with the inclusion criteria, 29 studies have been included in the review. The results of a systematic analysis of the literature are presented, with a description of the pathogenetic mechanisms and clinical aspects. The data obtained can serve as a basis for a more in-depth understanding of the role of atopy as a premorbid background for infectious diseases during a pandemic.

Keywords

• allergic diseases
• bronchial asthma
• acute urticaria
• skin rashes
• differential diagnosis
• covid-19
• sars-cov-2
• coronavirus infection