Are People with Asthma at a Higher Risk of Getting Sick with COVID-19?

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has been scary for all of us. However, there is a greater fear for those with asthma that they will have the worst outcome. Asthma is a common and critical lung condition that, according to recent studies, affects 1 in 13 people, including children and adults. Moreover, those with moderate to severe asthma might be at a higher risk of falling severely ill from COVID-19. The risk of hospitalization due to coronavirus disease is higher among such people.   

Why are people with asthma are more vulnerable to Covid-19?

According to recent research, people with moderate to severe asthma could be at greater risk for a more dangerous disease like COVID-19 as the symptoms between these two are very similar. Respiratory illnesses like COVID-19 may worsen asthma as the virus spreads through coughing, sneezing, and breathing. Hence, it is important to keep your asthma under control by taking proper asthma-controlling medicines.

If you do not take proper care, COVID-19 might affect the respiratory tract, cause an asthma attack and eventually lead to pneumonia and acute respiratory disease. Therefore, if you are asthmatic, you ought to prepare and suitably protect yourself from COVID-19.

    
Prepare

If you or your child has asthma, you should prepare certain things to meet your personal needs, including having on hand:

• Medical equipment like:
  • Infant/pediatric/ adult handheld pulse oximeter
  • Infant/pediatric nebulizer mask
  • Infant/ pediatric spacer
  • Nebulizer
  • Thermometer
• Medical supplies for each child (never share these among children):
  • Syringes
  • Nasal aspirator 
  • Alcohol wipes to clean medicine delivery and other medical appliances.
  • Saline spray
  • Prescription medications and any other essential medicines

Plan

It can be very frightening for parents whose children have asthma to read about COVID-19 as they would know that people with asthma might be more vulnerable to getting very sick from it. Hence, parents can work with their child’s doctor on an action plan for asthma to avoid any problems.

Moreover, the person providing your child or you with medical care must have access to the list of prescription medicines, know when they should be taken and where they are kept, and learn how to administer the medication to children and adults accurately. Always have other essential non-prescription medicines at hand for emergencies.

Protect

Being adequately prepared for emergencies is the best way to prevent illness:

• Talk to your medical provider about creating a special emergency supply of prescription medications.
• Take all medicines as per the prescription.
• Be familiar with the correct technique to use an inhaler for yourself and your kid.
• Clean and sanitize regularly touched surfaces like tables, desks, doorknobs, phones, toilets, etc., frequently to protect yourself against COVID-19.
• Always take steps to help yourself cope with stress and anxiety during such stressful situations because high-stress levels can make you more vulnerable to breathing problems and trigger an asthma attack.

Resources

To get reliable and useful information on asthma and allergies, check out the websites of CDC and WHO. You can also refer to the 8 to 8 Urgent Care website to get accurate information on allergies and asthma.

Conclusion

It is best to be prepared to combat the spread of disease and keep yourself and your children well protected, especially if one of you has asthma. 

If you wish to get yourself or your child checked for asthma and related conditions, please visit 8-2-8 Urgent Care Clinic, Oceanside, CA. We are among the most well-known walk-in clinics in CA.