BACKGROUND: To tackle the COVID-19 pandemic and mitigate viral transmission, mainland China has implemented various disease prevention measures and arrangements. We hypothesize that these measures may be pose challenges to the management of pediatric asthma. Here, we studied the situation of pediatric asthma in Chengdu during the COVID-19 pandemic and compared the pediatric asthma situation before so as to provide a reference for designing effective management plan for pediatric asthma patients in the future facing the outbreak of epidemic. METHODS: An observational study was done to compare the pediatric asthma situation in Chengdu from 2017 to 2019 to the situation under COVID-19 pandemic. Asthma incidence, severe asthma attack, air quality, temperature, and patient follow-up were examined. RESULTS: The number of monthly asthma cases decreased significantly in February 2020. The number of asthma cases in 2017-2019 positively correlated with levels of particulate matter PM 2.5 (p = 0.006) and PM10 (p = 0.005), while it negatively correlated with temperature (p = 0.048). No correlation was identified in 2020. A higher rate of severe asthma attack cases (9.69%) was observed among asthma patients in 2020 (p = 0.014). Differences were identified between the monthly severe asthma attack during the period 2017-2020 (p<0.001). The rate of severe asthma attack cases peaked in June and September 2020. The percentage of patients who failed to undergo pulmonary function tests was 34.5% in 2020, remarkably higher than in the previous 3 years (p<0.001). CONCLUSION: The situation and management of pediatric asthma during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic differed from those in previous years, with more emphasis placed on disease prevention practices and facilities. To design future pediatric asthma management practice, the environmental and psychological impact on asthma management should also be considered. Local areas should make good use of telemedicine to manage pediatric asthma effectively.
BACKGROUND: To tackle the COVID-19 pandemic and mitigate viral transmission, mainland China has implemented various disease prevention measures and arrangements. We hypothesize that these measures may be pose challenges to the management of pediatric asthma. Here, we studied the situation of pediatric asthma in Chengdu during the COVID-19 pandemic and compared the pediatric asthma situation before so as to provide a reference for designing effective management plan for pediatric asthma patients in the future facing the outbreak of epidemic. METHODS: An observational study was done to compare the pediatric asthma situation in Chengdu from 2017 to 2019 to the situation under COVID-19 pandemic. Asthma incidence, severe asthma attack, air quality, temperature, and patient follow-up were examined. RESULTS: The number of monthly asthma cases decreased significantly in February 2020. The number of asthma cases in 2017-2019 positively correlated with levels of particulate matter PM 2.5 (p = 0.006) and PM10 (p = 0.005), while it negatively correlated with temperature (p = 0.048). No correlation was identified in 2020. A higher rate of severe asthma attack cases (9.69%) was observed among asthma patients in 2020 (p = 0.014). Differences were identified between the monthly severe asthma attack during the period 2017-2020 (p<0.001). The rate of severe asthma attack cases peaked in June and September 2020. The percentage of patients who failed to undergo pulmonary function tests was 34.5% in 2020, remarkably higher than in the previous 3 years (p<0.001). CONCLUSION: The situation and management of pediatric asthma during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic differed from those in previous years, with more emphasis placed on disease prevention practices and facilities. To design future pediatric asthma management practice, the environmental and psychological impact on asthma management should also be considered. Local areas should make good use of telemedicine to manage pediatric asthma effectively.
Authors: Jaclyn Parks; Lawrence McCandless; Christoffer Dharma; Jeffrey Brook; Stuart E Turvey; Piush Mandhane; Allan B Becker; Anita L Kozyrskyj; Meghan B Azad; Theo J Moraes; Diana L Lefebvre; Malcolm R Sears; Padmaja Subbarao; James Scott; Tim K Takaro Journal: CMAJ Date: 2020-02-18 Impact factor: 8.262
Authors: Éric Lavigne; Robert Talarico; Aaron van Donkelaar; Randall V Martin; David M Stieb; Eric Crighton; Scott Weichenthal; Marc Smith-Doiron; Richard T Burnett; Hong Chen Journal: Environ Int Date: 2021-03-05 Impact factor: 9.621
Authors: Cuiyan Wang; Riyu Pan; Xiaoyang Wan; Yilin Tan; Linkang Xu; Cyrus S Ho; Roger C Ho Journal: Int J Environ Res Public Health Date: 2020-03-06 Impact factor: 3.390
Authors: Marcus S Shaker; John Oppenheimer; Mitchell Grayson; David Stukus; Nicholas Hartog; Elena W Y Hsieh; Nicholas Rider; Cullen M Dutmer; Timothy K Vander Leek; Harold Kim; Edmond S Chan; Doug Mack; Anne K Ellis; David Lang; Jay Lieberman; David Fleischer; David B K Golden; Dana Wallace; Jay Portnoy; Giselle Mosnaim; Matthew Greenhawt Journal: J Allergy Clin Immunol Pract Date: 2020-03-26