Asthma Management in the Era of the COVID-19 Pandemic

Asthma is common in children and exacerbations are usually triggered by respiratory viruses. There was considerable concern about the impact of COVID-19 on children with asthma. It was expected that children with asthma would fare poorly during the pandemic. However, the reported effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on pediatric asthma including acute asthma admissions, does not appear to be significant, but this needs careful follow-up. The socioeconomic effects of the pandemic and reduced healthcare access could potentially impact on ongoing delivery of health care in chronic respiratory conditions including asthma, especially in resource-poor settings. Children with chronic asthma need to be treated as per internationally published guidelines with innovative models of disease monitoring and ongoing care during the pandemic. During the pandemic, children with acute asthma need to be managed carefully based on local guidelines and using strict infection control policies. The use of technology such as telehealth and various tools of asthma management including questionnaires and digital monitoring will play an important role in asthma management during the pandemic. Medical professionals, healthcare administrators, and governments should be sensitive to the evolving needs of the community and work closely to continue to provide services in a challenging yet unresolved pandemic.