Are Asthma Patients at Higher Risk if They Contract COVID-19?..."Not True"

Research Results from Professor Hyejung Park's Team, Department of Pulmonology, Gangnam Severance Hospital
"Asthma Presence and Severity Do Not Affect COVID-19 Infection Prognosis"

Professor Hyejeong Park, Department of Pulmonology, Gangnam Severance Hospital (Photo by Gangnam Severance)

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Ji-hee] It was previously believed that asthma patients infected with COVID-19 would experience worsening symptoms and severe outcomes, but a new study has shown that this perception is not accurate.

Professor Park Hye-jung’s team from the Department of Pulmonology at Gangnam Severance Hospital announced on the 19th that their research on the impact of asthma presence and severity on COVID-19 infection prognosis confirmed that asthma does not have a significant effect.

Asthma is a condition characterized by recurrent symptoms such as coughing, wheezing, chest tightness, and difficulty breathing. It is generally treated with inhaled corticosteroids (ICS). The Global Initiative for Asthma recommends continuing the use of existing asthma medications during the COVID-19 pandemic, but until now, there has been no research supporting this recommendation.

To address this issue, the research team analyzed the correlation between asthma and COVID-19 infection among 7,590 confirmed COVID-19 patients from the onset of the pandemic in Korea until May of last year, including 218 asthma patients (2.9%). They utilized the “COVID-19 Patient Medical Expense Claims Data” from the Ministry of Health and Welfare and the National Health Insurance Service.

The team conducted logistic regression analysis adjusting for other variables affecting COVID-19 prognosis such as age, sex, and CCI (Charlson Comorbidity Index) score. Before adjustment, asthma presence and severity appeared to negatively affect COVID-19 prognosis, but after adjustment, there were no differences in mortality, ICU admission, hospitalization duration, or medical costs between asthma and non-asthma patients.

They also analyzed the data by dividing asthma patients according to the duration of medication use, adjusting for the same variables. Whether asthma medication was used within the past year or the past two months, there were no statistically significant differences in ICU admission, hospitalization duration, or medical costs after adjustment.

Professor Park stated, “After adjusting for various variables, there is insufficient evidence that asthma patients have worse COVID-19 infection outcomes compared to the general population. There is no need for unnecessary anxiety.” She added, “The use of asthma medication does not adversely affect COVID-19 prognosis, so sudden discontinuation of asthma medication could worsen asthma and it is advisable to continue regular use.”

Meanwhile, the study results were published in the international respiratory journal, European Respiratory Journal.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.