TY - JOUR T1 - Asthma and Coronavirus Disease 2019 Risk: a systematic review and meta-analysis JF - European Respiratory Journal JO - Eur Respir J DO - 10.1183/13993003.01209-2021 SP - 2101209 AU - Anthony P. Sunjaya AU - Sabine M. Allida AU - Gian Luca Di Tanna AU - Christine R. Jenkins Y1 - 2021/01/01 UR - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/early/2021/08/19/13993003.01209-2021.abstract N2 - Background Individual case series and cohort studies have reported conflicting results on the vulnerability to and risk of mortality of people with asthma from COVID-19.Research Question Are people with asthma at a higher risk of being infected, hospitalised or of poorer clinical outcomes from COVID-19?Methods A systematic review and meta-analysis based on five main databases including the WHO COVID-19 database between December 1, 2019 to July 11, 2021 on studies with a control (non-asthma) group was conducted. Prevalence and risk ratios were pooled using Sidik-Jonkman random effects meta-analyses.Findings Fifty-one studies with an 8.08% (95% CI 6.87–9.30) pooled prevalence of people with asthma among COVID-19 positive cases. The risk ratios were 0.83 (95% CI 0.73–0.95, p=0.01) for acquiring COVID-19; 1.18 (95% CI 0.98–1.42, p=0.08) for hospitalisation; 1.21 (95% CI 0.97–1.51, p=0.09) for ICU admission; 1.06 (95% CI 0.82–1.36, p=0.65) for ventilator use and 0.94 (95% CI 0.76–1.17; p=0.58) for mortality for people with asthma. Subgroup analyses by continent revealed a significant difference in risk of acquiring COVID-19, ICU admission, ventilator use and death between the continents.Interpretation The risk of being infected with SARS-CoV-2 was reduced compared to the non-asthma group. No statistically significant differences in hospitalisation, ICU admission and ventilator use were found between groups. Subgroup analyses showed significant differences in outcomes from COVID-19 between America, Europe and Asia. Additional studies are required to confirm this risk profile, particularly in Africa and South America where few studies originate.The risk of being infected with SARS-CoV-2 was reduced compared to the non-asthma group. No significant differences in hospitalisation, ICU admission, ventilator use and mortali were found between groups. ER -