Asthma control and treatment steps in Turkish children with Asthma during the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

Objective: Since viral infections are one of the most important factors affecting asthma control, various precautions and recommendations for asthma patients came to the fore at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. In our study, we aimed to evaluate the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on asthma control and treatment steps of children with asthma.

Materials and Methods: The date of March 11, 2019, was accepted as the beginning of the pandemic. The application deadline to our outpatient clinic of patients within one year after the onset of the pandemic (AOP) was determined. After that, the period of the same season before the beginning of the pandemic (BOP) was determined. We recorded the asthma treatment steps, asthma control test (ACT) scores, and the number of applications to our outpatient clinic during the BOP and AOP periods of the patients.

Results: In our study, 384 patients, 64.8% of whom were male, with a median age of 11 years, were evaluated. SARS-CoV-2 PCR positivity was detected in 6 (1.6%) patients. BOP, patient treatment steps, and the number of outpatient clinic applications were higher (p <0.001). AOP, there was no significant change in ACT scores (p = 0.059). Whereas asthma control was worse in patients susceptible to house dust mite (p = 0.01).

Conclusions: Although measures such as home quarantine and mask use have been reported to have positive effects on asthma control, increased exposure to house dust mites in susceptible patients may pose a risk of uncontrolled asthma.