Asthma, COPD tied to worse COVID-19 outcomes

(HealthDay)—Patients with active asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are at increased risk for severe COVID-19 outcomes, according to a study published online Aug. 10 in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology: In Practice.

Brian Z. Huang, Ph.D., from Kaiser Permanente Southern California in Pasadena, and colleagues assessed asthma disease status and COPD in relation to COVID-19 severity. The analysis included electronic medical records data from 61,338 patients diagnosed with COVID-19 in a large, diverse integrated health care system.

The researchers found that patients with active asthma had increased odds of hospitalization, intensive respiratory support, and intensive care unit admission (odds ratios, 1.66, 1.49, and 1.47, respectively) versus patients without asthma or COPD. Among patients with inactive asthma, no increased risks were seen. COPD was associated with increased risks for hospitalization (odds ratio, 1.27), intensive respiratory support (odds ratio, 1.49), and mortality (hazard ratio, 1.67). Use of asthma medications among active asthma patients was associated with more than 25 percent lower odds for COVID-19 outcomes versus patients without medication.

"These findings suggest that asthma patients, especially those who require clinical care, should continue taking control medications during the COVID-19 pandemic," the authors write.

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