Fewer people sought medical help for severe asthma attacks during the COVID-19 pandemic

[2greys]

Fewer patients with severe attacks were seen by their GP or admitted to hospital during the COVID-19 pandemic, and fewer were admitted to hospital for pneumonia, influenza and chronic lung diseases, show findings from three papers published online in the journal Thorax.

Early in the pandemic, asthma was identified as a potential risk factor for hospital admission and death from COVID-19, and since the majority of asthma exacerbations are associated with respiratory viral illnesses, it was expected that asthma exacerbations might increase.

Stay at home messages from governments, and fear of the virus could have dissuaded patients experiencing asthma exacerbations from seeking help from health services. On the other hand, restrictions on travel and social contact, resulted in reduced air pollution and transmission of other respiratory viruses, which could have led to a true reduction in asthma exacerbations during lockdown.

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thorax.bmj.com/content/earl...

[madonbrew]

Interesting isn’t it. My asthma has definitely been better so far this year. But obviously haven’t been out that much. Chest infections are my biggest trigger so I guess that masks 😷, distancing and not being around so many people has definitely helped!

[Hidden]

I think this is the first 12 month period in my entire life that I haven’t had a chest infection. Maybe that’s one good thing that could come of all this chaos- people take respiratory infections and their control a little more seriously. The wearing of face masks by people who are infectious might be normalised. How many times have people coughed all over you and said “Oh don’t worry, it’s just a cold”? To them maybe!