Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology (Oct 2023)
Effect of COVID-19 and Face Masks on the Condition of Rosacea – A Retrospective Analysis of 87 Patients
Abstract
Ting Zhang,1,* Xu Liu,1,* Fengjuan Yang,1 Yuanyuan Xu,1 Xian Jiang1,2 1Department of Dermatology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, People’s Republic of China; 2Laboratory of Dermatology, Clinical Institute of Inflammation and Immunology, Frontiers Science Center for Disease-Related Molecular Network, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, People’s Republic of China*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Xian Jiang, Department of Dermatology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, #37 Guoxue Alley, Wuhou District, Chengdu, Sichuan, 610041, People’s Republic of China, Tel +86-28-85423315, Fax +86-28-85422560, Email [email protected]: The pathogenesis of COVID-19 includes systemic immune activation and endothelial dysfunction, which is closely related to the pathogenesis of rosacea. In order to investigate the influence of COVID-19 infection on the condition of rosacea patients, we retrospectively investigated the impact of COVID-19 infection and COVID-19-related masks on rosacea patients.Methods: We collected the basic information from rosacea patients who had a long-term follow-up at West China Hospital of Sichuan University. Between January 2023 and March 2023, we recruited 87 rosacea patients for this survey.Results: Our results showed that COVID-19 infection could aggravate the condition of rosacea patients, and the change in the symptoms was not related to fever, temperature, antipyretics use, and vaccination. In addition, we observed a significant association between the type of mask worn by rosacea patients and exacerbation, while the duration of mask usage did not exhibit a similar relationship.Discussion: Considering the ongoing global utilization of masks due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the possible recurrence of COVID-19 infection, dermatologists should monitor the condition of rosacea patients infected with COVID-19 and adjust the treatment regimens accordingly.Keywords: SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19 infection, rosacea, mask
