Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in children with allergic asthma

During the pandemic (February-April 2020), the following data were obtained by 2 allergists via telephone interview: family size, presence of SARS-CoV-2 infection (adult cohabitants affected, signs and symptoms, date of onset, treatment, and severity) as well as an asthma-control assessment based on a validated Spanish child asthma-control questionnaire6 and asthma-control measures required in the previous 4 weeks. [...]during the phone call, parents did not report worsening of symptoms compared with the same period in the previous year. Asthma severity and control were not associated with a worse clinical course, so we can conclude that allergic asthmatic children are not more vulnerable to suffer from COVID-19.Online Repository Epidemiological features Age (y), median (IQR) 10 (7-11) Gender M/T 63% Family atopy 76% Allergic comorbidities Rhinitis 90% Conjunctivitis 85% Atopic dermatitis 50% Food allergy 36% Sensitization to aeroallergens Pollen 90% Animal dander 49% Molds 23% House dust mite 19% Type of allergic asthma Seasonal 49% Perennial 51% Asthma treatment∗ Step 1 40% Step 2 21% Steps 3 and 4 35% Step 5 4% Table I Total cases (n = 212): description of epidemiological and allergic features Probable COVID-19 cases 29 (14%) Non-COVID-19 cases 183 (86%) Statistical differences Epidemiological features Age (y), median (IQR) 10 (7-11) 10 (7-11) P = .72 Gender M/T 79% 61% P = .06 Family atopy 83% 75% P = .35 Allergic comorbidities Rhinitis 83% 91% P = .19 Conjunctivitis 76% 87% P = .12 Atopic dermatitis 62% 47% P = .15 Food allergy 59% 33% P = .007 Asthma treatment∗ Step 1 45% 39% P = .537 Step 2 31% 20% P = .585 Steps 3 and 4 24% 37% P = .487 Step 5 0% 4% P = .378 Lung function† FVC, FEV1, and FEV1/FVC ≥ 80% 72% 75% P = .682 Asthma control‡ OCS 10% 17% P = .328 Emergency care 27% 22% P = .652 Hospital admission 3% 6% P = .505 COVID-19 period (February-April 2020) Asthma control questionnaire CAN < 8§ 93% 97% P = .301 Rhinoconjunctivitis 38% 42% P = .714 Increase in reliever treatment (SABA) 34% 8% P < .001 Increase in asthma controller treatment 14% 3% P < .01 Table II Comparison between COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 allergic asthmatic children