Resources to Keep You and Your Family Safe from COVID-19

People with asthma are not believed to be at higher risk of getting infected with COVID-19 — but if you do get infected you may be at higher risk of getting very sick.

COVID-19 can:

• affect your respiratory tract (nose, throat, lungs)
• cause an asthma attack
• possibly lead to pneumonia and acute respiratory disease.

CDC says adults of any age with moderate to severe asthma may be at increased risk for severe illness from COVID-19.

However, many studies examining the relationship between asthma and COVID-19 have found no increased risk of severe illness or complications, according to the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (AAAAI).

A few studies have revealed nonallergic asthma may be linked to more severe illness from COVID-19, AAAAI says. These studies are not conclusive, however, as it’s not clear if the patients had COPD, a known risk for severe cases of COVID-19.

What’s the takeaway for people with asthma? Keep your asthma under the best possible control at all times, take your daily controller medications as prescribed and follow your Asthma Action Plan. That way your lungs will be healthy and well prepared to fend off any virus or infection.

More than 24 million people in the United States have asthma and 10 people die from asthma in the United States daily. It is important to practice COVID-19 prevention strategies if you have asthma due to the increased risk of severe complications.

If you have asthma, be sure to continue to follow your Asthma Action Plan or treatment plan.

Additional things you can do:

• Get the COVID-19 vaccine to protect yourself and others. Visit Vaccine.gov to find a location near you.
• Know how to use your inhaler correctly.
• Avoid your asthma triggers.
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces like tables, doorknobs, light switches, countertops, handles, desks, phones, keyboards, toilets, faucets and sinks daily to protect yourself against COVID-19.
• Avoid disinfectants and scented hand sanitizers that may cause an asthma attack.
• Take your asthma medication exactly as prescribed.
• Talk to your healthcare provider, insurer and/or pharmacist about creating an emergency supply of prescription medications such as asthma inhalers. There is no need to hoard medications.
• Make sure that you have 30 days of nonprescription medications and supplies on hand in case you need to stay home for a long time.

Some people are at higher risk of getting very sick from COVID-19. These groups include:

• Older adults, with risk increasing by age.
• People who live in a nursing home or long-term care facility.
• Pregnant women.
• People of any age with certain underlying medical conditions are at increased risk for severe illness from COVID-19:
  • Chronic kidney disease
  • COPD
  • Weakened immune system from solid organ transplant
  • Obesity (body mass index of 30 or higher)
  • Heart conditions including coronary artery disease or cardiomyopathies
  • Sickle cell disease
  • Type 2 diabetes

   

  People with the following conditions might be at increased risk for severe illness from COVID-19:

  • Asthma (moderate to severe)
  • Pulmonary fibrosis (damaged or scarred lung tissue)
  • Weakened immune system from immune deficiencies, HIV, use of corticosteroids or other immune weakening medications and blood or bone marrow transplant
  • Smoking
  • Cystic fibrosis
  • Hypertension or high blood pressure
  • Cerebrovascular disease (affects blood vessels and blood supply to brain)
  • Neurologic conditions such as dementia
  • Liver disease
  • Thalassemia (a type of blood disorder)
  • Type 1 diabetes

  Research is ongoing involving whether asthma is a risk factor for more severe complications from COVID-19. While CDC says it MAY be a risk for more severe COVID-19, other studies suggest it is NOT a risk factor.

  Several studies indicate people who have nonallergic asthma – symptoms caused by something other than allergies, such as exercise, air pollution, weather conditions or stress – may be at increased risk for severe COVID-19 compared to those with allergic asthma.

COVID-19 can be spread from person to person. Similar to other colds and viruses, it spreads primarily by close contact with someone who is infected. Research reveals that COVID-19 can be spread by people who are not showing symptoms.

Transmission can happen when respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs, sneezes or talks and the virus is released into the air. These droplets can land in the mouths or noses of people who are nearby or possibly be inhaled into the lungs. Droplets generally don’t travel more than a few feet before they fall to the ground, but there are cases – especially indoors and in places with poor ventilation – where they may travel further or linger in the air.

CDC defines “close contact” as spending a total of 15 minutes or more within 6 feet of someone who is infectious with COVID-19. The 15 minutes does not have to consecutive; it can occur in a series of brief encounters. It’s believed people need to be exposed to a certain level of the virus in order to get infected; the more exposure, the higher the level of the virus and the more likely people are to get COVID-19.

The risk of COVID-19 transmission indoors is highly variable – it can depend on the size of the respiratory droplets and the airflow in the room. The risk of transmission outdoors is safer than indoors, but there are cases of transmission in crowded outdoor locations.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends social distancing, in which we stay at least 6 feet apart from other people, and that we wear face masks when around other people.

COVID-19 can also be spread by touching a contaminated surface or object. (A cell phone or computer keyboard and mouse, for example, are items that can be contaminated with COVID-19.) The virus can be transmitted if you then touch your mouth, eyes or nose.

COVID-19 most commonly spreads through close contact with an infected person, however according to CDC there is evidence that in certain conditions, it may spread via respiratory droplets to people further than 6 feet away from the person who is infected. The virus may also linger in the air after the infected person has left, potentially infecting those still in the space.

This is called airborne transmission. CDC updated its COVID-19 guidance on Oct. 5 to reflect this assessment.

Transmissions that infect people who are further than 6 feet away have occurred in indoor spaces that have poor ventilation. It could be the infected person was speaking loudly, singing or breathing heavy after exercise.

To avoid exposure and minimize the risk of airborne transmission when indoors, CDC recommends staying at least 6 feet away from others whenever possible, avoid crowded indoor spaces and to cover your mouth and nose with a face mask when around others.

There are promising treatments for those who get sick with COVID-19. One is monoclonal antibody infusion therapy. Monoclonal antibodies are given intravenously as infusion therapy before patients need hospitalization. This therapy uses COVID-19 antibodies to help a person’s body fight off the infection. Research suggests these antibodies lower the amount of virus — the “viral load” — in a person’s body. This can help prevent hospitalization and death.

FDA has granted emergency use authorization to sotrovimab, a monoclonal antibody treatment that prevents the COVID-19 virus from entering the body’s cells. Sotrovimab is proving effective against many of the COVID-19 variants.

There are also treatments available for people who are hospitalized with COVID-19.

In October 2020, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved remdesivir for use in hospitalized adults and children 12 years of age or older who weigh at least 88 pounds.

Remdesivir, a broad spectrum anti-viral medication, is only administered in a hospital setting or a healthcare facility able to provide acute patient care.

Another COVID-19 treatment is dexamethasone, a type of corticosteroid. It’s used in hospitalized patients who are using ventilators to support breathing or require supplemental oxyten. It is recommended by the National Institutes of Health’s COVID-19 Treatment Guidelines Panel.

Racial inequities are central to the national conversation about COVID-19. CDC data reveals the rate of Black Americans, Native Americans and Hispanic/Latino communities who are hospitalized or die from COVID-19 is significantly higher than other races.

Inequalities in healthcare that existed before the pandemic have worsened during the COVID-19 pandemic. Communities with majority Black and Hispanic populations face limited access to medical care and treatment. There are often fewer COVID-19 testing sites in these communities as well. Some live in substandard or overcrowded housing and are employed in front-line occupations, putting them at higher risk of COVID-19 exposure.

The presence of underlying conditions, including asthma, obesity, heart disease and diabetes, may worsen COVID-19 symptoms.

Allergy & Asthma Network is working with partners to provide community-based health screenings and education so we can better address health disparities impacting underserved communities. The Not One More Life Trusted Messengers program offers free COVID-19, asthma and COPD online health screenings and telehealth support.

Learn more about racial inequities in healthcare here and uncover the path to achieving health equity.