Coincidence of pollen season and coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic: less time outdoors - lesser allergy symptoms in 2020

Abstract

Background This year, pollen season coincided with the first wave of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. Strict preventive measures have been implemented during April and May and then a normalization phase started in our country in June. Our aim is to evaluate the effect of preventive measures during the pandemic process on allergic airway disease symptoms. Methods A prospective questionnaire-based study was planned and a questionnaire form was sent to the cell-phones of the subjects with pollen allergy followed in our clinic. Number of airborne grass pollens was determined by Burkard volumetric 7-day spore trap. Results A total of 222 pollen allergic patients were included in the study. At the beginning of the pandemic, majority of the subjects were spending time mostly indoors. The rate of home-office workers gradually decreased and the rate of office workers and the number of days at work increased from April to June, significantly. Nasal and ocular symptoms of the patients, also increased in June compared to April and May and, approximately one-third of the patients had less symptoms when compared to the same period of the previous year. The rates of using a face mask and taking a shower on return home were high among the subjects during all season. Conclusion Our study showed that spending less time outside during the pollen season and wearing a mask outdoors reduces exposure to pollens and causes a reduction in symptoms. Thus, strict application of measures that cannot be applied in daily practice can make a significant contribution to the management of seasonal allergic rhinitis.

Anxiety in adults with allergic rhinitis during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic: A Canadian perspective

“…26 There had also been a report of decreased AR disease burden in relation to altered behaviours during the pandemic (e.g., working from home, spending less time outdoors) -Sözener et al found that AR patients spent less time outdoors during the 2020 pollen season reported a reduction in AR symptoms. 27 An ancillary finding within the case-control HMR was that increasing age was found to be associated with decreased anxiety after controlling for the effect of the other predictor variables -β=-.17, p<.001 and β=-.18, p<.001 in Model 1a and in Model 1b, respectively (Table 2). This finding contradicts the thought that higher anxiety would be seen with increasing age since older people are at greater risk of serious illness following COVID-19 infection -a systematic review with meta-analysis of 70 pandemic-time studies found a continuous increase in COVID-19 disease severity with increasing age.…”

Changes in the Mean and Variance of the Numbers of Medical Visits for Allergic Diseases before and during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Korea

“…A previous study performed in Spain showed that high pollen levels caused an increase in hospitalizations due to asthma [ 26 ]. A prospective questionnaire-based study in Turkey reported that exposure to pollen and allergic symptoms could be reduced in patients with pollen allergies by reducing outdoor activity during the pollen season and wearing a mask [ 27 ].…”

A cross-sectional survey on the experience of people with allergic rhinitis amidst COVID-19 pandemic: The impact of the facemask: A pilot study

“…Studies have shown that those sensitized to outdoor allergens benefit from face mask usage. [17][18][19]22,24,25,27 In contrast, those sensitized to indoor allergens showed indifference when wearing a face mask and worsening symptoms during lockdown. 2,18,19,25 More than 45% of respondents agreed/ strongly agreed that the type of face mask available in the market has a role in giving them the desired reduction of symptoms.…”

“…Previous studies have shown that during the COVID-19 global pandemic, there has been a decrease in allergic rhinitis symptoms among patients 2,6,[17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29] This can be attributed to two possible reasons: first, the reduced exposure to allergens because of the COVID-19 lockdown and avoidance of crowded places. Second, the use of face masks as per COVID-19 safety guidelines.…”