The relationship between aeroallergen sensitivity variations and Covid 19 in patients with rhinitis

Abstract

Objective: There have been studies evaluating the association between AR and COVID-19 infection, but these studies did not evaluate the sensitisation of patients. The objective of this study was to examine the impact of allergen sensitisation on the transmission of viral infections and the progression of the disease.  Material and Methods: Rhinitis patients admitted to the Adult Allergy Outpatient Clinic between April and June 2021 were included in the study. Aeroallergen sensitisation and COVID-19 disease status of the patients were evaluated. Results: Data were collected from 260 patients. It was determined that 23.8% (n=62) of the patients had COVID-19 and 17.7% (n=11) had COVID-19 pneumonia. This rate was higher than the incidence of COVID-19 in the general population. The rate of COVID-19 infection was significantly higher in patients with pollen allergy compared to other groups (p=0.049). When the COVID-19 transmission periods of the patients were analysed, it was observed that 55% of them were infected between March and September in accordance with the pollen map. Patients taking steroids (INCS or ICS) did not have an increased risk of COVID infection, and concomitant asthma did not pose an increased risk. Having chronic diseases was found to be a risk factor. Conclusions: This study provides clinical evidence of an increased frequency of infection in AR patients, especially in AR patients with pollen allergy. This result is valuable as it is a data not presented in existing studies. We also think that the risk of COVID-19 increases with pollen exposure. As pollen can suppress antiviral immunity, we recommend that chronic disease groups pay special attention to prevention methods, especially when pollen and respiratory virus seasons overlap.