P120 An evaluation of the impact of shielding to avoid COVID 19 infection on respiratory symptoms in children with severe asthma

Introduction and ObjectivesAsthma is a complex disease with multiple interacting factors determining individual phenotypes. We performed a service evaluation of children attending specialist paediatric respiratory clinics for their asthma at tertiary care hospital as part of routine follow up and whilst shielding according to NHS advice during the COVID 19 pandemic (March- July 2020).MethodPatients and parents/guardians were asked to complete a pre-prepared series of questions about how their asthma had been affected by shielding as a part of telephone/video link follow-up consultations having shielded for between 2–5 months.Results58 families (Male 33, Female 25) provided data. Mean age of respondents was 12 years (range 5–18 years). All families were shielding. Only one patient had been admitted for acute asthma whilst shielding. They were COVID-19 positive at the end of admission. One other asymptomatic patient was COVID-19 positive through screening. Only 11 (19%) reported being less likely to self-refer for symptoms with 6 (11%) more likely and 41 (70%) no difference. Twenty-three (40%) reported better asthma control, 10 (17%) worse asthma and 25 (43%) no different. Twenty-nine (50%) had an ACT ≥20 indicative of well controlled asthma. 47 (81%) were using the same or less relief medication, 40 (69%) were sleeping the same or better at night and 38 (66%) were the same or less anxious. Comparing asthma control to the same period in the previous year 28 (48%) reported better symptom control, 7 (12%) worse control and 23 (40%) no different.Reasons reported for improved asthma are shown in table 1.Reasons for the 7 with worse control included increased seasonal allergic rhinitis 3 (43%) and more indoor aeroallergen exposure 3 (43%).Thirty-one families (53%) preferred video link (attend anywhere) consultations and 11 (19%) expressed a preference for face to face appointments.Abstract P120 Table 1Reasons for better asthma controlConclusionOverall severe asthmatics have experienced better symptom control during shielding. Reasons are multiple although decreased infections were identified as a cause by the majority of families. Ongoing care using video link consultations would be acceptable for the majority of families attending our service.