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. 2020;75(S1):130-132.

[COVID-19 and asthma]

[Article in French]
R Louis  1 , D Calmes  1 , A N Frix  1 , F Schleich  1
Affiliations
  • PMID: 33211435
Free article

[COVID-19 and asthma]

[Article in French]
R Louis et al. Rev Med Liege. 2020.
Free article

Abstract
in English, French

Given the prominent role of respiratory viruses in asthma exacerbations it has been feared that the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic may result in massive irruption of asthmatic patients in the hospital emergency departments. It seems, however, that asthma is not a particular risk factor for SARS-COV-2 infection nor for death resulting from severe infection. Inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) were found to reduce expression of ACE2 receptor in sputum cells, thereby maybe reducing the risk of lung infection. Only the more severe asthmatic patients treated with oral corticoids or high dose ICS were found to be at risk of death, presumably because of associated comorbidities. Biologicals directed towards IgE or interleukin-5 do not seem to confer an increased risk of severe infection.

Vu le rôle joué par les virus respiratoires dans les exacerbations asthmatiques, nous avons eu les pires craintes au début de l’épidémie de SARS-CoV-2 de voir les patients asthmatiques déferler dans les services hospitaliers. Il semble pourtant que l’asthme ne présente ni un facteur de risque d’infection, ni un facteur de risque de surmortalité. La prise de corticoïdes inhalés pourrait même protéger, en réduisant l’expression du récepteur ACE2, port d’entrée du virus dans les voies respiratoires. Seuls les patients asthmatiques plus sévères, recevant des corticoïdes systémiques ou des hautes doses de corticoïdes inhalés, ont un excès de mortalité, sans doute en raison des comorbidités associées. La prise de traitements biologiques anti-IgE et anti-IL-5 ne semble pas associée à un risque particulier d’infections sévères.

Keywords: Asthma; Corticoids – Biologicals; Death; 19; COVID.

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