Evaluation of Incidence and Complications during COVID-19 Desease in Patients with Asthma

Abstract

Background: COVID-19 is presented by a wide clinical spectrum from asymptomatic cases to severe pneumonia and even death. Since the report of its first cases in 2019, risk factors for mortality or clinical failure have been described.

Asthma, as a respiratory disease, could be a risk factor for developing severe COVID-19 disease.

Thus, the aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of COVID-19 disease in asthmatic patients.

Method: 173 electronic medical records (DXC-HCIS- Healthcare Information System) of asthmatic patients were reviewed and demographic and clinical data were extracted: sex, age, smoking habit, comorbidities (obesity, rhinosinusitis, nasal polyps, COPD and T2 or non T2-asthma), previous asthma treatment (inhaled therapy, oral corticosteroids, biological therapy, azithromycin and anti-leukotriene use), previous exacerbations, blood eosinophils and serum Total-IgE levels. Severity of infection was registered according to the presence of pneumonia, need for hospitalization, intensive care unit (ICU) admission and mortality.

Results: Higher risk of pneumonia was found in males (p=0.004), smokers (p=0.025) and previous treatment with inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) + long-acting ß-agonist (LABA) (p=0.001).

Higher risk of hospitalization was found among males (p=0.048), smokers (p<0.001) or patients with previous ICS+LABA treatment (p=0.003) and lower risk of hospitalization in T2 asthmatic patients (p=0.002) and those previously treated with ICS (p=0.005).

Conclusion: Asthmatic patients present a higher risk of pneumonia and hospitalization if they are male, smokers or undergoing ICS+LABA treatment.

Asthma T2 and previous treatment with ICS are related with a lower risk of hospitalization.