https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4824-2928
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Abstract
Objective
The impact of asthma as a possible risk factor for adverse clinical outcomes in patients diagnosed with COVID-19 remains controversial. The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of asthma on adverse clinical outcomes in a COVID-19 hospitalized cohort.
Methods
Retrospective, propensity-matched observational study of consecutive COVID-19-positive patients between February 24, 2020, and November 3, 2020 at a single health care system.
Results
In the initial population of 1925 patients, 4.4% presented with asthma. Propensity score matching reduced the total sample to n = 1045: 88 (8.4%) with asthma and n = 957 without asthma. A total of 164 (15.7%) patients died during the hospitalization, including 7 (8.0%) in the asthma group and 157 (16.4%), p = .037, in the non-asthmatic cohort. There was no difference between these groups in need for mechanical ventilation, length of stay on a ventilator, or hospital length of stay.
Logistic regression analysis demonstrated that asthma was an independent predictor of lower mortality, while older age, BMI > 30 kg/m2, heart failure, chronic kidney disease, and admission National Early Warning Score (NEWS) were significantly associated with an increased risk of in-hospital death. There were no significant differences between asthmatic and non-asthmatic cohorts with respect to need for mechanical ventilation, length of mechanical ventilation, serum markers of severe COVID-19 disease, or overall length of hospital stay.
Conclusion
We conclude that asthma in hospitalized COVID-19 patients is associated with a lower risk of mortality and no increase in disease severity in hospitalized COVID-19 patients.
Acknowledgements
We are grateful to Rick Seip for his help in the editing of this manuscript. We are indebted to all individuals who participated in our study. This study was performed at Hartford Hospital, 80 Seymour Street, Hartford CT 06115, USA.
Declaration of interest
The authors report no conflict of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of this article.