Evaluating the impact of coronavirus disease 2019 on asthma morbidity: A comprehensive analysis of potential influencing factors.

Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol

Children's Hospital of Orange County (CHOC), Orange, California; Irvine School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, California.

Published: July 2021

Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic period is experiencing better asthma control, fewer exacerbations, and health care utilization, with limited data on factors that could explain this phenomenon.

Objective: To confirm these improved asthma outcomes during COVID-19 and evaluate potential contributing factors.

Methods: In 18,912 pediatric patients with asthma treated in the Children's Hospital of Orange County network from 2017 to 2020, monthly asthma-related encounters and medication summaries were extracted from electronic health records, particulate matter 2.5 (PM) air pollution from the California Air Resources Board, and influenza-like illness from Illness Surveillance Network for the first 6 months of each year. Changes in outcomes between January to March and April to June (post-COVID-19 shutdown in 2020) were compared with historical data using generalized estimating equations analyses for patient outcomes and generalized linear models for pollution exceedance, influenza-positive, and telehealth visit rates.

Results: During COVID-19, we found 78%, 90%, 68% reductions in hospitalization, emergency department visits, and exacerbations, respectively, compared with pre-COVID-19 2020, with significantly greater changes than the same time period of 2017 to 2019 and significant reductions in albuterol and inhaled corticosteroid use (P < .05). Emergency department visit reduction was not seen for African Americans. The PM and influenza rates were also significantly reduced during COVID-19 (P < .05). Increased rates in telehealth visits were greater in the publicly insured group when compared with commercially insured.

Conclusion: Our data confirm reduced health care utilization and suggest better asthma control during COVID-19, except for African Americans. This was associated with a significant increase in telehealth visits and reductions in PM and influenza infections, but not better asthma controller adherence.

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http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9338685PMC
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.anai.2021.03.018DOI Listing

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