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Pediatric asthma exacerbation and COVID-19 pandemic: Impacts, challenges, and future considerations
Soroush Khojasteh-Kaffash1,2,3, Peyvand Parhizkar Roudsari2,4, Amir Ghaffari Jolfayi2,5
1Student Research Committee, School of Medicine, Birjand University of Medical Sciences, Birjand, Iran.
Insights
Pediatric asthma exacerbations surprisingly decreased during the COVID-19 pandemic due to reduced allergen exposure and fewer viral infections. COVID-19 vaccination is safe for most children with asthma.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Pulmonology
- Infectious Diseases
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Asthma is a prevalent respiratory condition in children, requiring diligent management to prevent exacerbations.
- The Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic presented unique challenges to healthcare, including its impact on chronic conditions like asthma.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the occurrence and patterns of asthma exacerbations in pediatric populations during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- To evaluate the relationship between COVID-19 and asthma severity, hospitalization rates, and mortality.
- To assess the safety and impact of COVID-19 vaccination on children with asthma.
Main Methods:
- A narrative review was conducted utilizing PubMed and Embase databases.
- Keywords included "Asthma," "COVID-19," "Pandemic," and "Symptom flare up."
- Studies focusing on pediatric asthma exacerbations during the COVID-19 pandemic were selected.
Main Results:
- Controlled or mild-to-moderate asthma did not increase COVID-19 severity, hospitalization, ICU admission, or mortality.
- Asthma attacks and emergency visits decreased during the pandemic, attributed to reduced allergen exposure, improved treatment adherence, and fewer viral infections.
- COVID-19 vaccination showed no significant adverse effects in children with asthma, even in severe cases, with no conclusive evidence of asthma exacerbation post-vaccination.
Conclusions:
- The COVID-19 pandemic was associated with a decrease in pediatric asthma exacerbations.
- COVID-19 vaccination appears safe for children with asthma.
- Further research is needed to understand long-term asthma trends post-pandemic and prepare for future health crises.
Objective:
Asthma, a common disease among children and adolescents, poses a great health risk when ignored; therefore, a thorough follow-up to prevent exacerbations is emphasized. The aim of the present study is to investigate asthma exacerbation in children during the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) era.
Data Sources:
This narrative review has been done by searching the PubMed and Embase databases using Asthma, COVID-19, Pandemic, and Symptom flare up as keywords.
Study Selections:
Studies related to asthma exacerbation in COVID-19 pandemic were included.
Results:
Based on studies, controlled or mild to moderate asthma has not been considered a risk factor for COVID-19 severity and has not affected hospitalization, intensive care unit (ICU) admission, and mortality. Surprisingly, emergent and non-emergent visits and asthmatic attacks decreased during the pandemic. The three main reasons for decreased incidence and exacerbation of asthma episodes in the COVID-19 era included reduced exposure to environmental allergens, increasing the acceptance of treatment by pediatrics and caregivers, and decreased risk of other respiratory viral infections. Based on the available studies, COVID-19 vaccination had no serious side effects, except in cases of uncontrolled severe asthma, and can be injected in these children. Also, there was no conclusive evidence of asthma exacerbation after the injection of COVID-19 vaccines.
Conclusion:
Further studies are recommended to follow the pattern of asthma in the post-pandemic situation and to become prepared for similar future conditions.
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