Impact of COVID-19 lockdown on emergency asthma admissions and deaths: national interrupted time series analyses for Scotland and Wales
Lockdown was associated with a 36% pooled reduction in emergency admissions for asthma (incidence rate ratio, IRR: 0.64, 95% CI: 0.49 to 0.83, p=0.001) across both countries. There was no significant change in asthma deaths (pooled IRR: 0.57, 95% CI: 0.17-1.94, p=0.37).
Source:
Thorax
SPS commentary:
The researchers day they do not yet know to what degree the reduced numbers of emergency presentations of asthma in the study are due to improvements in asthma control or reductions in exposures to triggers during the pandemic versus avoidance of healthcare settings. They highlight several important areas for future investigation to understand underlying reasons, including positive drivers such as improved self-management and reduced exposure to respiratory pathogens and pollutants.