The Impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Management of Asthma
Most articles addressing asthma and COVID-19 have looked at the relationship between the likelihood of acquiring the illness and the likelihood of severe illness outcomes. Taking a different approach, an article published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology Practice in September, authors Oreskovic et al look at how the COVID-19 pandemic impacts asthma management. The authors describe, “Sudden dramatic changes in the environment, medical practice, and medication use have altered the asthma management landscape with potential impacts on asthma outcomes.” They look at how changes in transportation and travel patterns, school attendance, physical activity, time spent indoors, and changes in health care delivery since the start of the pandemic play a role in asthma control in children. The figure below, included in the article, summarizes the impacts– both positive and negative– of these pandemic-driven factors on asthma control.
