COVID-19 lockdown and seasonal allergic rhinitis: our experience in 40 patients
Keywords:
Coronavirus, hypersensitivity, seasonal allergic rhinitis, pollen, cypress, SNOT-22, quarantine, therapyAbstract
Introduction: The aim of this article was to study the course of seasonal allergic rhinitis during COVID-19 lockdown in order to understand if being quarantined at home for a long time can constitute a protective factor for allergic patients.
Materials and methods: Telehealth consultations were performed by the departments of Otolaryngology of Foggia and Bari University Hospitals. Participants took part in a phone interview and were asked about their sinonasal symptoms during the COVID-19 lockdown, by answering the sinonasal outcome test (I-SNOT-22) questionnaire. Further data concerning the medications used to treat allergy and the number of days per month in which they were used were collected. The responses about the COVID-19 lockdown were compared to those obtained by the same patients in our clinics the previous year. The statistical analysis was executed by using the paired sample t-test and the Bartlett test considering as significant values with p values <0.05.
Results: Forty patients affected by cypress pollen allergy visited at Foggia and Bari University Hospitals were enrolled in this study. All I-SNOT-22 scores concerning the COVID-19 lockdown were lower than those of the previous year; moreover, 18 (81.8%) clinical parameters were statistically significant (p<0.05).
Also, in regard to the treatment, results about COVID-19 lockdown were overall better than those of 2019, with 50% (n=3) of the investigated drugs, reporting statistical significance (p<0.05).
Conclusions: The present study was able to evidence the fundamental role of primary prevention in Allergology. Paradoxically, the home quarantine ordered by the Italian Government appeared to be an effective measure not only in the fight against COVID-19 but also against pollen exposure.
References
Tobías A. Evaluation of the lockdowns for the SARS-CoV-2 epidemic in Italy and Spain after one month follow up. Sci Total Environ. 2020;725:138539. doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.138539
Gelardi M, Trecca E, Cassano M, Ciprandi G. Smell and taste dysfunction during the COVID-19 outbreak: a preliminary report. Published online 1885. doi:10.23750/abm.v91i2.9524
Bousquet J, Schünemann HJ, Togias A, et al. Next-generation Allergic Rhinitis and Its Impact on Asthma (ARIA) guidelines for allergic rhinitis based on Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) and real-world evidence. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2020;145(1):70-80.e3. doi:10.1016/j.jaci.2019.06.049
Gelardi M, Iannuzzi L, Trecca EMC, Kim B, Quaranta NAA, Cassano M. COVID-19: what happened to all of the otolaryngology emergencies? Eur Arch Oto-Rhino-Laryngology. Published online May 18, 2020. doi:10.1007/s00405-020-06046-z
González M del RG, Pérez FMP, Vivancos LG, Iñiguez LG, Maquilon AJ, Alonso JAM. Gestion de la consulta de otorrinolaringología durante el estado de alarma por la pandemia del covid-19. ¿es util la consulta telefónica en orl? Acta Otorrinolaringológica Española. Published online July 2020. doi:10.1016/j.otorri.2020.06.001
Mozzanica F, Preti A, Gera R, et al. Cross-cultural adaptation and validation of the SNOT-22 into Italian. Eur Arch Oto-Rhino-Laryngology. 2017;274(2):887-895. doi:10.1007/s00405-016-4313-x
Hopkins C, Gillett S, Slack R, Lund VJ, Browne JP. Psychometric validity of the 22-item Sinonasal Outcome Test. Clin Otolaryngol. 2009;34(5):447-454. doi:10.1111/j.1749-4486.2009.01995.x
Fokkens WJ, Lund VJ, Hopkins C, et al. European Position Paper on Rhinosinusitis and Nasal Polyps 2020. Rhinol J. Published online February 1, 2020:1-464. doi:10.4193/Rhin20.600
Hoehle LP, Speth MM, Phillips KM, et al. Association between Symptoms of Allergic Rhinitis with Decreased General Health–Related Quality of Life. Am J Rhinol Allergy. 2017;31(4):235-239. doi:10.2500/ajra.2017.31.4444
Nathan RA, Dalal AA, Stanford RH, et al. Qualitative Development of the Rhinitis Control Assessment Test (RCAT), an Instrument for Evaluating Rhinitis Symptom Control. Patient Patient-Centered Outcomes Res. 2010;3(2):91-99. doi:10.2165/11318410-000000000-00000
Gelardi M, Trecca EMC, Fortunato F, et al. COVID‐19: When dust mites and lockdown create the perfect storm. Laryngoscope Investig Otolaryngol. Published online August 11, 2020:lio2.439. doi:10.1002/lio2.439
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0) which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Transfer of Copyright and Permission to Reproduce Parts of Published Papers.
Authors retain the copyright for their published work. No formal permission will be required to reproduce parts (tables or illustrations) of published papers, provided the source is quoted appropriately and reproduction has no commercial intent. Reproductions with commercial intent will require written permission and payment of royalties.
How to Cite
