Outbreak of eczema and rhinitis in a group of office workers in Greenland.

Disturbed indoor climate may in some cases be associated with illness. In the present paper, we report the results from a thorough investigation of office workers in Greenland, who developed skin and/or airway problems after moving into renewed offices

Hand eczema, wet work exposure, and quality of life in health care workers in Denmark during the COVID-19 pandemic

BACKGROUND: The focus on hand hygiene during the pandemic has been reported to increase the hand eczema (HE) prevalence in healthcare workers (HCWs), however, detailed prospective data is missing. Objectives to evaluate changes in HE prevalence, exposures, and health-related quality of life (HR-QoL) among HCWs during the pandemic. METHODS: In this prospective cohort study, HCWs employed at hospitals in Copenhagen responded to a digital questionnaire at the beginning of the pandemic and again 10 months later. RESULTS: Seven-hundred-and-ninety-five HCWs responded to both questionnaires (83.4% females). The calculated one-year HE prevalence decreased from 16.0% at baseline to 13.0% at follow-up. Number of hand washings decreased significantly, while use of alcohol-based hand rubs (ABHR) on wet skin increased significantly. In a logistic regression model, increased use of ABHR on wet skin was associated with HE at follow-up (OR 1.78, 95%CI [1.11-2.87]). HR-QoL worsened slightly at follow-up, with HE severity and frequent flares being risk factors for a reduced HR-QoL. LIMITATIONS: Sample size CONCLUSION: In contrast to previous studies undertaken during the pandemic, we found a relatively low and stable HE prevalence. Our findings suggest that the interaction between changed exposures and HE is complex and cannot be linked to a single factor