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Inhaled corticosteroids for the treatment of COVID-19

Mona Bafadhel1, Rosa Faner2, Camille Taillé3

  • 1King's Centre for Lung Health, School of Immunology and Microbial Sciences, Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine, King's College London, London, UK mona.bafadhel@kcl.ac.uk.

European Respiratory Review : an Official Journal of the European Respiratory Society
|November 30, 2022
PubMed

Insights

Inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) may protect against severe COVID-19. This review explores evidence and mechanisms for ICS as a potential treatment for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

Area of Science:

  • Pulmonology and Infectious Diseases

Background:

  • The COVID-19 pandemic caused millions of deaths globally.
  • Treatments for COVID-19 are still needed despite vaccine availability.
  • Asthma and COPD patients were less represented in COVID-19 cases.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review evidence on the beneficial effects of inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) in COVID-19 patients.
  • To explore potential protective mechanisms of ICS against severe COVID-19.
  • To assess ICS as a potential therapeutic option for COVID-19.

Main Methods:

  • Systematic review of clinical studies and scientific literature.
  • Analysis of observational data regarding asthma/COPD patients and COVID-19 outcomes.
  • Exploration of proposed biological mechanisms for ICS effects.

Main Results:

  • Clinical studies suggest inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) may reduce COVID-19 severity.
  • Underrepresentation of asthma and COPD patients in severe COVID-19 cases noted.
  • Evidence supports a potential protective role for ICS in managing COVID-19.

Conclusions:

  • Inhaled corticosteroids show promise as a treatment for COVID-19.
  • Further research into ICS mechanisms and clinical efficacy is warranted.
  • ICS could offer a valuable therapeutic strategy for improving COVID-19 outcomes.

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