Skin Irritation Associated with Hand Hygiene Practice and Use of Face Mask during COVID-19 Pandemic among the People in Gazipur, Bangladesh

Background: In COVID-19 pandemic increasing the frequency of hand washing and disinfection is the most important preventive measure of this disease which is causing in deleterious impact on skin among general population. So the aim of the study was to evaluate whether these measures are associated with development of skin damage.

Methods: This was a descriptive type of cross-sectional, observational study conducted over a period of six months from April 2021 to September 2021 including 1166 patients coming to some private clinics in Gazipur with skin manifestations. Skin diseases were diagnosed by dermatologist on basis of clinical morphology with appropriate investigations. Data were collected by structured questionnaire and analyzed using SPSS.

Results: Out of 1166 patients, 35.68% reported skin changes or symptoms over hands (ScH), and 13.98% reported skin changes on their face (ScF). Around 87.39% and 86.53% of the participants reported a change in hand washing habits and sanitizer using habits during the COVID-19 pandemic. There were significantly higher percentage (57.21%) of skin conditions in females (ScH: 45.28% vs ScF:17.30%), 43.82% individuals were working in environments requiring frequent hand washing (ScH: 41.88% vs. ScF: 18.59%), 39.88% working in facilities where they have to interact with people during the pandemic (ScH: 42.58% vs. ScF: 19.57%), 5.75% those encountering COVID-19 patients (ScH: 49.25% vs. ScF: 25.64%), 15.78% those exposed to chemicals (ScH: 52.72% vs ScF: 25.82%), and 9.17% healthcare workers (ScH: 57.00% vs ScF: 31.77%). Almost 35.22% reported skin dryness, 9.44% reported changes in the texture, 13.42% reported scaling, 16.52% reported itchiness, 4.46% reported changes in skin color, 14.52% reported redness, and 4.62% reported pain/ burning, while 1.80% reported skin ulcers.

Conclusion: Our study suggests that the general population’s skin was negatively affected by COVID-19 precautions where increased frequency of hand washing and the use of alcohol-based sanitizers, overuse of soaps were contributing factors for skin disorders.