TY - JOUR T1 - Characteristics and outcomes of asthmatic patients with COVID-19 pneumonia who require hospitalisation JF - European Respiratory Journal JO - Eur Respir J DO - 10.1183/13993003.01875-2020 SP - 2001875 AU - Antoine Beurnier AU - Etienne-Marie Jutant AU - Mitja Jevnikar AU - Athénaïs Boucly AU - Jérémie Pichon AU - Mariana Preda AU - Marie Frank AU - Jérémy Laurent AU - Christian Richard AU - Xavier Monnet AU - Jacques Duranteau AU - Anatole Harrois AU - Marie-Camille Chaumais AU - Marie-France Bellin AU - Nicolas Noël AU - Sophie Bulifon AU - Xavier Jaïs AU - Florence Parent AU - Andrei Seferian AU - Laurent Savale AU - Olivier Sitbon AU - David Montani AU - Marc Humbert Y1 - 2020/01/01 UR - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/early/2020/07/23/13993003.01875-2020.abstract N2 - Background Viral respiratory infections are the main causes of asthma exacerbation. The susceptibility of asthmatics to develop an exacerbation when they present with severe pneumonia due to SARS-CoV-2 infection is unknown. The objective of this study was to investigate the characteristics and outcomes of asthmatic patients with COVID-19 pneumonia who required hospitalisation during the spring 2020 outbreak in Paris, France.Methods A prospective cohort follow-up was carried out from March 15 to April 15, 2020 in Bicêtre Hospital, University Paris-Saclay, France. All hospitalised patients with a SARS-CoV-2 infection who reported a history of asthma were included.Results Among 768 hospitalised patients, 37 (4.8%) reported a history of asthma, which had been previously confirmed by a pulmonologist in 85% of cases. Patients were mainly female (70%), non-smokers (85%), with a median age of 54 years (interquartile range, IQR 42–67). None of them presented with an asthma exacerbation. Twenty-two (59%) had major comorbidities and 31 (84%) had a body mass index ≥25 kg·m−2. The most common comorbidities were obesity (36%), hypertension (27%) and diabetes (19%). All patients had a confirmed diagnosis of COVID-19 pneumonia on computed tomography of the chest. Eosinopenia was a typical biologic feature with a median count of 0/mm3 (IQR 0–0). Eleven patients (30%) were admitted in intensive care unit with three death (8.1%) occurring in the context of comorbidities.Conclusion Asthmatics were not overrepresented among patients with severe pneumonia due to SARS-CoV-2 infection who required hospitalisation. Worst outcomes were observed mainly in patients with major comorbidities.Asthmatics were not overrepresented among patients with severe pneumonia due to SARS-CoV-2 infection who require hospitalisation. None of them presented with an asthma exacerbation. Worst outcomes were observed mainly in patients with major comorbidities. ER -