COVID-19 & ASTHMA (Part-01)

COVID-19 AND ASTHMA: What People With Asthma Should Know 

As we are aware of the global pandemic #Covid19 and its fatal effects, it has been closely observed that symptoms relating to #Coronavirus are quite similar to that of asthma patients and other lung-related diseases. Thereby many patients with respiratory diseases got in trouble. 

Symptoms of Corona and Asthma 

As per today's scenario of our country, Covid-19 has besieged our people and its upshot is increasing promptly. Its symptoms are no different than that of Influenza and are responsible for the accretive mortality. Symptoms can be sore throat, dry cough, cold, difficulty in breathing due to decreased oxygen level, etc. Similarly, the same symptoms can be spotted in asthmatic patients, allergy, and nasobronchial allergy. Patient history is found in the case of asthma. Running nose is found less in the patients of Covid-19 as compared to other respiratory infections. Difficulty in breathing is where coronavirus begins affecting your body and it's very important to check out the symptoms. 

Mild, Moderate and Severe Patients of Covid-19

It has been ascertained that 60% of the Covid-19 patients have very mild symptoms which people usually ignore and 15% of them have complicated symptoms and are required to be hospitalized or through OPD management can be treated and 5 % of them need the ICCU. This coronavirus has a size of 10 microns and it enters our body through the nose and takes about 3 to 4 days to reach till the throat and then reaches to the lungs on the 4th or 5th day. Through the ACE receptor present in the lungs the virus enters into blood vessels. Most of the deaths in the case of the coronavirus patients happen due to Microvascular thrombosis (clots in blood resulting in decreased oxygen level followed by a septic shock leading to multi-organ failure and then causing the death of the patient ). Coronavirus hinders the normal operation of the immune system of our body. In reference to that, people who have a weak immune system should be more careful. Such people can be above the age of 65, patients of various diseases like asthma, hypertension, diabetes, cardiac failure, and malignancy. These people have a higher risk of catching the virus.

Does an asthmatic patient have a higher risk of death if he/she gets infected from coronavirus? 

Yes, certainly if the asthmatic patients are not well controlled. Normally our breathing tubes are wide open and when we breathe once, in 3 seconds 80% of the air gets in and we breathe out 80% of the air in 3 seconds. But Asthmatic patients have swollen endothelial layers in their breathing tubes as a result of uncontrolled asthma and not taking the medication properly. This can serve as breeding grounds for Coronavirus and may lead to serious complications. 

If an asthmatic patient experiences symptoms of Coronavirus then what should he/she do first? 

According to the protocols of the government, if a person experiences cough, cold, or fever then he /she should first reach fever clinics (established in the city in accordance with the respective ward numbers ) and get the screening and chest x-ray done. If the patient has normal or slightly decreased levels of oxygen he /she is advised for home quarantine. And if there is a considerably decreased level of oxygen then the patient is hospitalized. Symptoms can be spotted in the chest x-ray of the patient, usually, such patients have a history of cold and cough. 

It would be a pleasure to help anybody in need.

Dr. Pramod Jhawar  

Jhawar Chest, Allergy, Asthma & Bronchoscopy, Sleep Study Centre 

Call - 9827033089, 9424611137, 0731-2560011