RESULTS:
Twenty-six (1.73%) out of 1504 severe asthmatics had confirmed (11 out
of 26) or highly suspect COVID-19 (15 out 26); eighteen (69.2%) were
females and mean age was 56.2 ± 10 years. The geographical distribution
of COVID-19 cases is presented in Figure 1.
Nine (34.6%) infected patients experienced worsening of asthma during
the COVID-19 symptomatic period; four of them needed a short course of
oral corticosteroids for controlling asthma exacerbation symptoms.
The most frequent COVID-19 symptoms reported were fever (100% of
patients), malaise (84.6%), cough (80.8%), dyspnea (80.8%), headache
(42.3%) and loss of smell (42.3%). Four patients (15.3%) have been
hospitalized, one of which in Intensive Care Unit (ICU); among
hospitalized patients, two (7.7%) died for COVID-19 interstitial
pneumonia. No deaths have been reported among the non-hospitalized
patients.
Severe asthmatics affected by COVID-19, had a significantly higher
prevalence of non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) compared
to non-infected severe asthma patients (15.4% vs 3.8%, p=0.002; odds
ratio: 4.7). No difference in the prevalence of other comorbidities
(including rhinitis, chronic rhinosinusitis with or without nasal
polyps, bronchiectasis, obesity, gastroesophageal reflux, arterial
hypertension, cardiovascular diseases) was found between infected and
non-infected severe asthmatics included in the study.
Twenty-one out of 26 patients with COVID19 (confirmed or highly
suspected) were on biological treatments. Among severe asthmatic
patients treated with biological agents and experiencing COVID-19
(n=21), 15 (71%) were on anti-IL-5 inflammatory pathway (Mepolizumab n=
13; Benralizumab n=2 - counting for the 2.9% of all severe asthmatics
treated with anti-IL5 in our study population) whilst 6 (29%) were on
anti IgE (Omalizumab - 1.3% of all severe asthmatics treated with
omalizumab in our study population).
Table I summarizes demographic and clinical characteristics of the 26
patients COVID-19.