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Review
. 2020 Dec;83(6):1730-1737.
doi: 10.1016/j.jaad.2020.07.057. Epub 2020 Jul 22.

Hand hygiene during COVID-19: Recommendations from the American Contact Dermatitis Society

Chandler W Rundle  1 , Colby L Presley  2 , Michelle Militello  2 , Cara Barber  3 , Douglas L Powell  4 , Sharon E Jacob  5 , Amber Reck Atwater  6 , Kalman L Watsky  7 , Jiade Yu  8 , Cory A Dunnick  9
Affiliations
Review

Hand hygiene during COVID-19: Recommendations from the American Contact Dermatitis Society

Chandler W Rundle et al. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2020 Dec.

Abstract

The recent COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in increased hand hygiene and hand cleansing awareness. To prevent virus transmission, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends frequent hand washing with soap and water. Hand hygiene products are available in a variety of forms, and while each of these formulations may be effective against COVID-19, they may also alter skin barrier integrity and function. As health care workers and the general population focus on stringent hand hygiene, the American Contact Dermatitis Society anticipates an increase in both irritant contact and allergic contact hand dermatitis. Alcohol-based hand sanitizers with moisturizers have the least sensitizing and irritancy potential when compared to soaps and synthetic detergents. This article provides an overview of the most frequently used hand hygiene products and their associations with contact dermatitis as well as recommendations from the American Contact Dermatitis Society on how to treat and prevent further dermatitis.

Keywords: COVID-19; allergic contact dermatitis; detergents; hand washing; irritant contact dermatitis; soap.

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Figures

Fig 1
Fig 1
Hand dermatitis from antiseptic hand wash in a health care worker.
Fig 2
Fig 2
One fingertip unit. Two fingertip units is the appropriate amount of moisturizer to apply to hands after hand washing.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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