Understandably when we first started to see cases of COVID and patients becoming seriously ill we were very concerned about our patients with asthma. We know that when patients with asthma get a respiratory infection like a cold or the flu, it can set off their asthma and make their symptoms worse
It is important if patients with asthma do get COVId that they start on their preventative puffers and speak to a doctor as there is some evidence that some patients with respiratory conditions will benefit from a higher dose asthma puffer.
It is reassuring to hear the results of hundreds of studies showing people with asthma, including children, have no higher risk of being diagnosed with COVID. Importantly they are no more likely to go to the hospital, have a severe infection or die than patients without asthma. An Australian report published by Asthma Australia looked at 58 different studies, including half a million people. 7.46% of those infected with COVID had asthma (most not severely). People with asthma seemed to be 14% less likely to get COVID and 14% less likely to go to the hospital with COVID. People with asthma seemed to have 13% less risk of dying from COVID. However, the study could not determine if patients with asthma were a little more likely to end up in ICU. The study found that a few more patients ended up in ICU and on ventilators, but this was probably not statistically relevant or could just have been by chance.
You can read the summary on the Asthma Australia website and the report “Impact of COVID-19 on asthma: Rapid Review for Asthma Australia” for more detailed information.
This is excellent news for everyone suffering from asthma and shows how little we know about COVID and how it operates. We are only guessing as to why some of the underlying changes we see in asthma, especially asthma that is related to allergy, may protect asthmatics a little from the COVID virus
Although this is extremely reassuring, there may be other factors involved. Patients with asthma may be more careful about catching the virus, get medical help more quickly, or start cortisone asthma puffers early. We don’t know if things will change for asthmatics with new versions of the virus. Getting vaccinated and safety procedures like socially insolating when sick, social distancing and wearing masks remain as crucial as ever.