Mental health status of dermatologists during the COVID-19 pandemic: A technology-based therapy

The clinical and immunological features of alopecia areata following SARS-CoV-2 infection or COVID-19 vaccines

INTRODUCTION

Alopecia areata (AA) is an autoimmune disease induced by viral infection or vaccination. With the increased incidence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the incidence of AA has also increased. Recently the incidence was found to be 7.8% from a previously reported rate of 2.1%. The physical and psychological damage caused by AA could seriously affect patients' lives, while AA is a challenging dermatological disease owing to its complex pathogenesis.

AREAS COVERED

This paper presents a comprehensive review of the prevalence, pathogenesis and potential therapeutic targets for AA after infection with SARS-CoV-2 or SARS-CoV-2 vaccine.

EXPERT OPINION

The treatment of AA remains challenging because of the complexity of its pathogenesis. For patients with AA after SARS-CoV-2 infection or vaccination, the use of sex hormones and alternative regenerative therapies may be actively considered in addition to conventional treatments. For preexisting disease, therapeutic agents should be adjusted to the patient's specific condition.

Technology in the Era of COVID-19: A Systematic Review of Current Evidence

BACKGROUND

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the use of technology-based services has been incremental by the care providers for patients scheduling, regulatory considerations, resource allocation, thus enabling virus exposure prevention while maintaining effective patient care. This study aims to review the currently available evidence to identify available technology solutions in the era of COVID-19.

METHODS

A systematic review in July 2020 using the PubMed, Scopus, Embase, Science Direct, and Web of Science databases has been carried out. After evaluating the title and abstract to select the most relevant studies based on inclusion and exclusion criteria, the selected articles underwent quality assessment. The full text of selected articles was then thoroughly evaluated to extract the essential findings.

RESULTS

In this study, 20 technology-based approaches have been identified for provision of healthcare services to patients with COVID-19. These methods included telemedicine, virtual visits, e-consult, tele-consulting, video conference, virtual healthcare, mobile-based self-care, social media, tele ICU, 3D printing technology, telemonitoring, teleradiology, telesurgical, and cloud-based service.

CONCLUSION

Due to the rapid spread of the coronavirus, the use of technology-based methods for the provision of remote healthcare services can help control the disease. The effectiveness of each of these approaches can be investigated in future research.

Availability of personal protective equipment among dermatologists in the COVID-19 pandemic: Assessment and risk factors in a web-based, global study

Background: The availability of personal protective equipment (PPE) among dermatologists during the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has not been studied. Methods: We have assessed PPE availability among dermatologists and relevant aspects of hospital service by surveying 733 dermatologists. Results: Considerable percentages of respondents had to purchase their own PPE (40.2%) and were not provided with it at the hospital (37.7%). Only 27% of respondents provided hospital service, and 18.4% were assigned to nondermatologic duty. A substantial percentage (64.4%) indicated the availability of hospital-issued management guidelines (HIMG) for COVID-19 patients. Nearly half of the survey participants (49.1%) responded that the health care system was not equipped for the pandemic. Purchasing one's own PPE was strongly associated with the private practice setting and continent, with the highest rates in Central and South America and in Europe (P < .001). PPE availability at a hospital was associated with 2 continents, with the highest rates in Europe and in North America (P < .001). In logistic regression, the most important factor reducing the odds ratio (OR) for purchasing their own PPE was HIMG for COVID-19 patients (OR, 0.55; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.32-0.97). Respondents’ assessment that the health care system was equipped for COVID-19 was the most powerful increaser of OR for PPE availability (OR, 9.43; 95% CI, 5.37-16.56) followed by >1,000 COVID-19 cases in a participant's country. Conclusions: Substantial percentages of respondents had to purchase their own PPE and were not provided with it at the hospital. Strategies to increase PPE availability should be implemented by hospitals, industry, and government authorities.