Managing Asthma During COVID-19
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Asthma is a serious, but common lung condition that affects 1 in 13 people, including adults and children. People with moderate to severe asthma might be at a higher risk of getting very sick from Coronavirus (COVID-19).
The past six months have proven to be a busy time for our family. We have made our way through last hurricane season, cold and flu season, and now there’s COVID-19.
As a parent of a child with asthma, I can tell you that anyone in my shoes and anyone who has asthma themselves is on alert all the time, not just at a specific time of year or in reaction to a public health emergency, such as COVID-19.
Get Ready for COVID-19
Everyone, especially those who are at an increased risk for complications, needs to take steps to prepare and protect themselves from COVID-19.
People with asthma fall into that higher risk category. If you have asthma, COVID-19 may be more likely to affect your respiratory tract (nose, throat, lungs), cause an asthma attack, and possibly lead to pneumonia and acute respiratory disease.
Prepare
To reduce your stress, work to improve your personal health preparedness. If you are a parent of children with asthma or an adult with asthma be ready to meet your personal needs, including having on hand:
- Medical equipment as needed
- Nebulizer
- Infant/pediatric/adult handheld pulse oximeter
- Medical alert bracelet
- Infant/pediatric nebulizer mask
- Infant/pediatric spacer
- Thermometer
- Medical supplies for each child (never shared)
- Saline spray
- Nasal aspirator
- Syringes
- Isopropyl alcohol wipes to wipe down medication delivery and other devices.
- Prescription medications
Plan
Watching and reading the news about COVID-19 can be unnerving for a parent of a child with asthma because we know people with moderate to severe asthma may be at higher risk of getting very sick from COVID-19. One of the best ways parents can prepare is to work with their child’s doctor on an Asthma Action Plan.
In addition to the Asthma Action Plan, anyone providing you or your child with care must have access to a list of prescriptions, know when those medications were last taken, know where they are kept, and know how to properly administer the medications to an adult versus a child. Always have a supply of prescriptions and non-prescription medicine on-hand in case of an emergency.
Protect
There is currently no specific treatment for or vaccine to prevent COVID-19. The best way to prevent illness is to be prepared by following the American Academy of Pediatrics guidelines for preventing exposure and continuing to:
- Take all your medication exactly as prescribed.
- Talk to your healthcare provider, insurer, and pharmacist about creating an emergency supply of prescription medications, such as asthma inhalers.
- Know how to use your inhaler or how to assist a child in using it.
- Avoid your or your child’s asthma triggers.
- Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces like tables, doorknobs, light switches, countertops, handles, desks, phones, TV remotes, keyboards, toilets, faucets, and sinks daily to protect yourself against COVID-19. Avoid disinfectants that can cause asthma attacks.
- As more cases of COVID-19 are discovered and our communities take action to combat the spread of disease, it is natural for some people to feel concerned and stressed. Strong emotions can trigger an asthma attack. Take steps to help yourself cope with stress and anxiety.
Find more personal health preparedness resources and recommendations at https://www.cdc.gov/cpr/prepareyourhealth/index.html
Resources
- Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)
- Asthma
- People with Asthma and COVID-19
- Prepare Your Health
- Managing Asthma: Have a Plan
- Prepare Your Health: Falling Into Asthma
Thanks in advance for your questions and comments on this Public Health Matters post. Please note that the CDC does not give personal medical advice. If you are concerned you have a disease or condition, talk to your doctor.
Have a question for CDC? CDC-INFO (http://www.cdc.gov/cdc-info/index.html) offers live agents by phone and email to help you find the latest, reliable, and science-based health information on more than 750 health topics.
9 comments on “Managing Asthma During COVID-19”
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I am a Registered Nurse in the Emergency Department and I really appreciate you posting this blog! You provided a ton of information on asthma and how to prevent attacks and ED visits. The most important point you made was for asthma patients to take their normal medications as prescribed and avoid asthma triggers.
Normally, when a patient comes to the ED having an “asthma attack”, the first thing we do is provide them with a breathing treatment. The breathing treatment is typically albuterol and it is aerosolized. Afterward, we will give them a steroid and magnesium through their IV to help relax their smooth muscle. However, to reduce the spread of COVID-19, we have stopped all aerosolized treatments. This has majorly affected patients with asthma because we can no longer give them breathing treatments. Now, we can only give them an inhaler with a spacer. This is not as effective as a breathing treatment but it helps protect the staff and other patients from COVID-19.
Thank you for sharing this information and teaching those with asthma!
As a nurse who has asthma, I can tell you first hand that when COVID-19 became an issue, I was terrified. I scheduled an appointment with my asthma specialist right away to make sure I was okay. Although I am a nurse and I had been following the COVID reports quite closely, I still wanted that reassurance from my physician. He made me aware of my risk for complications because of my asthma and actually took me out of work for 2 weeks because I was at such a high-risk. When I returned to work (my first day back), I was reassigned to a COVID rule out unit. I was petrified! I couldn’t refuse the assignment because we are already stretched so thin and I have a responsibility to my patients. Literally the whole night, I kept me rescue inhaler on my person. I usually keep it in my book-bag but because I was so anxious, I kept it on me the entire night. It ended up being a really good night but the very thought of me being exposed to COVID really put me on high alert moreso than normal. Being prepared for something like this should always be a priority for patients like us.
i have athsma and i have respitory disease will the corona affect it
I am a nurse who has asthma, was diagnosed as a child. From first hand experience I can tell you that asthma is a condition that can affect you in any season. Since the COVID-19 outbreak it has been a struggle for me. Since we are mandated to wear a mask its making it hard for me to recover from my asthma episodes, I haven’t had this issue in years. I understand wearing mask help decrease the spread of the Coronavirus but its creating problems for me. Usually when I have issues with my asthma, taking my medications and avoiding triggers that irritate me it resolves quickly. Now that I have to wear a mask between 12 to 14 hours a day I cant seem to keep my asthma under control. I am having trouble with shortness of breathe and cough. I find myself having to break away from everyone to take off the mask so I can recuperate. My doctor made my job aware that I am not to take care of patients that are possible or confirmed cases of COVID-19. Ensuring that you prepare, plan , and protect yourself is essential to your health when you are diagnosed with asthma during this COVID-19 pandemic.
I have asthma & am aware of how serious my condition could be if I contacted Covid. So we social distance. I wear a cloth mask to dr appointments. And if I do go into a store I mask up & I’m in & out quickly & its not often. However the past week n a half I’ve experienced several asthma attacks & most at night waking up unable to breathe. I use my inhalers & have calmed self down but twice came to on the floor in another room. Now Mu feet, ankles & calf’s of my legs are very swollen & painful to walk even short distance, having problems sleep abnormal. Falling asleep standing up & extremely tired. Last night I wet the bed & have never done that ever. I am wheezing & short of breath when up. I have crps so swelling could be from that but it takes a lot of activity for this to occur.
I can really sympathize with Lori Steele’s post about being asthmatic and the problem with wearing masks. Much I would love to comply with masks and understand the importance, my asthma makes it almost impossible; I can only wear a mask for about 1/2 hour before an attack begins. I discovered this, strangely, on a visit to the local hospital for routine lab work. Luckily, I am retired but employers should make exceptions for workers who have asthma, either with frequent breaks or different sorts of jobs. As for me, I spend a lot of time at home! Thanks for your helpful information.
I have asthma and i work in the food industry. I have been having a lot of problems with my breathing while wearing a mask so i have gotten to the point where i only wear my mask if i am dealing with customers. My boss is not happy with this so i am wondering if anyone can suggest a solution that does not involve me quitting my job or wearing a mask my whole shift.
As a nurse I can understand the fear of catching COVID-19 if a person already has asthma. My God daughter has severe asthma and other respiratory problems and so when her mom told me she was not going to be attending school, instead she would be attending school virtually. I commended her for being proactive in her child’s well-being. Over the years I have gone with her to many ER visits and doctor’s appointments related to asthma. The slightest change in weather would trigger her to have an asthma attack. So, when the COVID-19 pandemic started, my first thoughts were what plan could we produce to keep her from being exposed to it. Educate, that was the key. Because I work in infection prevention and I check the CDC (Center for Disease Control) guidelines daily, I was able to provide my friend and her family with the facts about COVID-19 and how detrimental it could be for a person who has asthma. I also suggested to my friend to create an asthma plan to prevent and control asthma attacks. I explained to her the importance of avoiding asthma triggers especially with the flu season approaching and making sure her daughter continues to take her medications as prescribed. I know since the pandemic started people have been rushing to purchase cleaning agents and disinfectants these products can also trigger asthma attacks.
This information is very useful for us, thank you for giving Asthma related information.