Asthma prevalence in patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection detected by RT-PCR not requiring hospitalization

Respir Med. 2020 Sep:171:106084. doi: 10.1016/j.rmed.2020.106084. Epub 2020 Jul 4.

Abstract

Introduction: The prevalence of asthma in patients hospitalized with SARS-CoV-2 has been studied and varies widely in the different series. However, the prevalence in SARS-infected patients not requiring hospitalization is not known. The objective of this study was to analyze the presence of asthma in a consecutive series of patients who tested positive in the RT-PCR assay for SARS-CoV-2 and did not require hospital admission.

Methods and results: A total of 218 patients (58% of those who tested positive) did not require hospitalization; they had a median age of 45 years (IQR 34-57) and 57% were female. Six patients (2.8%) had a previous diagnosis of asthma. Only one patient developed a mild aggravation of asthma symptoms associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Conclusions: Few patients with asthma were infected by SARS-CoV-2, and this infection was not a significant cause of asthma exacerbation.

Keywords: Asthma; COVID-19; Coronavirus; Prevalence; Risk factors.

Publication types

  • Observational Study

MeSH terms

  • Anti-Asthmatic Agents / therapeutic use
  • Asthma* / diagnosis
  • Asthma* / epidemiology
  • Asthma* / therapy
  • Asthma* / virology
  • Betacoronavirus / isolation & purification*
  • COVID-19
  • COVID-19 Testing
  • Clinical Laboratory Techniques / methods*
  • Comorbidity
  • Coronavirus Infections* / diagnosis
  • Coronavirus Infections* / epidemiology
  • Coronavirus Infections* / physiopathology
  • Female
  • Hospitalization / statistics & numerical data
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Pandemics*
  • Pneumonia, Viral* / diagnosis
  • Pneumonia, Viral* / epidemiology
  • Pneumonia, Viral* / physiopathology
  • Prevalence
  • Retrospective Studies
  • Risk Assessment / methods
  • Risk Factors
  • SARS-CoV-2
  • Spain / epidemiology
  • Symptom Assessment / methods

Substances

  • Anti-Asthmatic Agents