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Unveiling the COVID-19 risks in Asthma Patients!

Since the day we were hit by the pandemic, there had been a lot of questions about this unknown VIRUS that was progressing in the world. The base of a lot of questions was ‘who all can be affected by it’. After research and a lot of studies, it was found that the VIRUS can hit anybody irrespective of gender or age. But one thing that came into focus was that the people who have co-morbidities  i.e. the ones who have any pre-complications are at higher risk than the others.

Amongst this the one pre-condition on which there had been a lot of studies is Asthma.

Because both COVID-19 and Asthma affect lungs it is believed that they are correlated. When the pandemic had just hit the world, it was thought that asthmatic people will get affected largely but it is now found that such patients were not at higher  threat to the disease, risk is equal  as for non-asthmatics. There is no evidence that having asthma means increased risk to have the virus.

However, if an asthmatic patient was infected with COVID-19, then there is a need for them to be extra cautious. For instance, a person who has uncontrolled asthma might show severe symptoms but again these are not such which cannot be controlled.

Asthmatic people who have been tested positive for COVID-19 should follow the same protocols as others. They should be just extra careful of the hygiene and clean environment. For this, they need to keep their hands clean, wash them frequently with soap, and do use alcohol-based hand sanitizer. Keep your surroundings clean and keep disinfecting the room you are in.

During the researches being conducted, a fact that came ahead is that the asthmatic patients who use inhalers are at very low risk of infection than others. One possible explanation for this can be that the treatment been taken by asthmatic patients limits the ability of COVID-19 to attach to the lungs and reduce the inflammation too.

As it is now clear that asthmatic patients are less likely to be infected with the virus, the question that now arises is whether this principle applies to all types of asthma?  Or do different types involve different risks?

Normally there are two types of asthma: Allergic & Non-Allergic.

While allergic asthma flares up with exposure to pollen and mold, non-allergic asthma is exacerbated by exercise, stress, cold weather, etc.
The studies have suggested that non-allergic asthma might lead to severe disease but no conclusive evidence has been found.

In the end, would just like to add that even though asthma does not carry high-risk factors to be infected with COVID-19 yet, prevention is always better than cure. Follow all the protocols as listed by the government such as wear a mask, keep away from crowded places, maintain a distance of 6 ft while communicating.

Also, since our country has started the largest vaccination drive, we urge you to go get yourself vaccinated. It is completely safe. There are no special concerns regarding side effects to vaccination in asthmatics. Asthmatic patients shouldn’t be scared of vaccination and side effects related to it.
Common Queries about Asthma