7
votes
I have asthma. Am I more at risk of having a severe coronavirus infection?
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
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 probably isn't good for asthma - but we don't have any data yet". Further evidenced by another quote followed shortly thereafter:
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...
And the WHO says...
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 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.
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.