Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Incidence of Asthma Exacerbations and Hospitalizations in US Subspecialist-Treated Patients with Severe Asthma: Results from the CHRONICLE Study

Figures & data

Table 1 Patient Characteristics at Enrollment^a

Characteristic	Enrolled (N = 3100)	Biologics Recipients (n = 1832)	mSCS Recipients (n = 339)	No Biologic or mSCS (n = 829)
Age at enrollment, years, mean (SD)	54 (15)	55 (14)	53 (16)	54 (16)
Female, %	69	67	72	70
Race, %
White	74	76	73	69
Black	17	16	19	21
Other^b	9	8	8	10
Hispanic/Latino ethnicity, %	10	9	8	12
BMI, kg/m,^2 mean (SD)	33 (9)	33 (8)	34 (9)	34 (10)
Subspecialist care, %
Allergist/immunologist only	39	44	24	34
Pulmonologist only	53	47	65	61
Allergist/immunologist and pulmonologist	8	9	11	5
Insurance, %
Commercial	57	58	48	57
Medicare	23	24	29	21
Medicaid	11	10	13	13
Uninsured	1	1	1	3
Other^c	7	7	9	7
Residential area, %
Urban	27	28	25	27
Suburban	46	44	46	50
Rural	23	24	24	21
Missing	3	4	4	2

Notes: ^aPercentages may not sum to 100% as a result of rounding. ^b“Other” includes Asian, American Indian or Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander, other, not reported, and missing. ^c“Other” includes “other government insurance” and “other insurance.”

Abbreviations: BMI, body mass index; SD, standard deviation.

Figure 1 Distribution of CHRONICLE sites across the United States.

Figure 2 Overall rates of (A) asthma exacerbations, (B) exacerbation-related emergency department visits, and (C) asthma hospitalizations by month from July 2018 through July 2021. (A–C) Gray bands represent the implementation of state-level COVID-19 restrictions.

Figure 3 Monthly exacerbation rates by treatment category: 3-month moving averages. Gray bands represent the implementation of COVID-19 restrictions. Biologic use and SCS use were not mutually exclusive.

Abbreviations: 3 per. Mov. Avg., moving 3-month averages; SCS, systemic corticosteroids.

Figure 4 Proportion of patients receiving treatment with biologics from 2018 through 2020. The gray band represents the implementation of COVID-19 restrictions.

Abbreviation: Q, quarter.