A new study by the researchers of the University Of Southern California and Kaiser Permanente Southern California has shown that people who keep their asthma under control are less likely to have severe COVID-19 outcomes, according to Medical Xpress.
The study, published in The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology: In Practice, suggested that asthmatics, especially those who require clinical care, should continue their asthma treatments during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Co-lead author Prof. Zhanghua Chen said, “Anyone with asthma should continue to work with their health care provider to ensure they are getting the best treatment for their asthma, which leads to better asthma control and decreases the likelihood of severe COVID-19 outcomes.”
Chen is an assistant professor of population and public health sciences at the Keck School of Medicine of USC.
In the United States, nearly 25 million people have asthma – one of the potentially serious respiratory conditions, especially during the widespread transmission of COVID-19.
The researchers evaluated the impact of respiratory disorders on COVID outcomes in a population with equal access to health care, according to Medical Xpress.
Most patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases (COPDs), including asthma, are at greater risk of getting hospitalized, needing intensive respiratory support, and ICU admission within 30 days of COVID diagnosis compared to those who do not have COPDs.
The researchers found that asthmatics who had their illness well under control were less likely to have severe COVID-19 outcomes.
Study author Dr. Anny Xiang said, “This study went beyond examining asthma’s impact on COVID-19 outcomes and instead focused on how COVID-19 outcomes might change for asthma patients depending on their level of asthma control,” said study author Anny H. Xiang of the Kaiser Permanente Southern California Department of Research & Evaluation.
“We also saw that even in patients with active asthma, if they were using asthma medications their odds of worsened COVID-19 outcomes decreased, which demonstrates just how important these medications are,” she added. The article was published in Medical Xpress.
