Comparison of Hand Eczema in Iraq Before and During SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic Using Frequentist Statistics and Polynomial Models

Abstract

Introduction. SARS-CoV-2 pandemic spread around the world exponentially. People use disinfectants excessively to protect themselves from the novel coronavirus, which may cause contact eczema; local health authorities can monitor these. Our study explores the internet to detect significant changes in online information search (seeking) behaviors connected with eczema in Iraq during the pandemic. Material and Methods. We searched the internet, via Google Trends, using five search terms; "اكزيما", "الاكزيما", "اكزيما اليد", "كحول", and "مطهر"; these are the Arabic translation for "eczema", "the eczema", "hand eczema", "alcohol", and "disinfectant". We explored the internet covering two years, one before and one during the pandemic. Results. Spatial mapping conveyed data from six governorates in Iraq, including Ninawa, Babil, Al-Najaf, Baghdad, Basrah, and Erbil. Basrah governorate had the highest score (interest) for the search term "the eczema" (الاكزيما), while Al-Najaf had the highest score for the search term "disinfectant" (مطهر). Temporal mapping exhibited high variability, the highest of which was for the search terms "the eczema" (الاكزيما) and "alcohol" (كحول). Exploring the temporal variabilities, using polynomial models showed weak predictive power over the two years. However, during the pandemic year, the predictive models for each search term possessed a moderate power. Conclusions. Changes in human behavior during pandemic events are of prime importance for pharmacovigilance experts. Pandemics can influence medical conditions, including hand eczema, as a manifestation of disinfectants' overuse. Combining data analytics and artificial intelligence facilitates screening, detecting, and collecting pharmacovigilance and safety data.