7 votes

I have asthma. Am I more at risk of having a severe coronavirus infection?

Posted by Algernon_Asimov
Tags: self post, ask.experts, coronaviruses.covid19, asthma

Here's the article: I have asthma. Am I more at risk of having a severe coronavirus infection?

Here's the key point:

at this stage, there's no evidence to indicate that people with asthma — even those with severe asthma — are more prone than others to becoming seriously ill with a COVID-19 infection

2 comments

  1. [2]
    skullkid2424
    (edited )
    Link
    I think that the quote you've pulled out of the article doesn't really tell the whole story - if you include the previous line, it changes the meaning: That sounds much more like "Yeah COVID-19...

    I think that the quote you've pulled out of the article doesn't really tell the whole story - if you include the previous line, it changes the meaning:

    We don't know whether the new coronavirus would trigger an attack, but the assumption is that it would work like any other respiratory virus.

    However, at this stage, there's no evidence to indicate that people with asthma — even those with severe asthma — are more prone than others to becoming seriously ill with a COVID-19 infection, said Jo Douglass, an asthma and allergy expert from the University of Melbourne and the Royal Melbourne Hospital.

    That sounds much more like "Yeah COVID-19 probably isn't good for asthma - but we don't have any data yet". Further evidenced by another quote followed shortly thereafter:

    "I couldn't imagine this being good for asthma, but there's no evidence to say how bad it is for asthma at the moment," Professor Oliver said.

    If you are asthmatic, I would take extra care to isolate and protect yourself. Talk to your dr about risks, and ensure you have enough meds. I requested a refill for my emergency inhaler since my last one was running low/expired - can't hurt to be prepared.

    The CDC says...

    People with moderate to severe asthma may be at higher risk of getting very sick from COVID-19. COVID-19 can affect your respiratory tract (nose, throat, lungs), cause an asthma attack, and possibly lead to pneumonia and acute respiratory disease.

    And the WHO says...

    People of all ages can be infected by the new coronavirus (2019-nCoV). Older people, and people with pre-existing medical conditions (such as asthma, diabetes, heart disease) appear to be more vulnerable to becoming severely ill with the virus.

    8 votes
    1. Algernon_Asimov
      Link Parent
      Don't overlook this quote: What the doctors in this article seem to be saying (in my eyes) is that, among cases of COVID-19 so far, asthmatics have not been presenting to hospital at a higher rate...

      Don't overlook this quote:

      "It doesn't seem that asthma is a particular risk for more severe or intensive care admission of COVID-19," Professor Douglass said.

      What the doctors in this article seem to be saying (in my eyes) is that, among cases of COVID-19 so far, asthmatics have not been presenting to hospital at a higher rate than non-asthmatics.

      In other words, asthmatics may get sicker from COVID-19 than non-asthmatics, but there's no evidence of that actually happening in the cases that have presented so far.

      And the WHO says...

      Reading that "Myth busters" page is an eye-opener. I'm amazed at the types of myths that are out there, which need to be busted. "Drinking alcohol does not protect you against COVID-19" and "Taking a hot bath does not prevent the new coronavirus disease" seem like no-brainers to me. I wonder at the type of people who believe these things.

      1 vote