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EPIDEMIOLOGICAL AND CLINICAL PARAMETERS IN PATIENTS WITH COVID-19 AND BRONCHIAL ASTHMA

Purpose: to analyze the epidemiological and clinical parameters of asthmatic patients with COVID-19 infection. Materials and methods: a retrospective study was performed including data from an outpatient pulmonary practice in Pleven, Bulgaria, for the period 01.04. 2020 – 31.12. 2021. Sixty-five asthmatics were included and divided into two groups, referred to hospital due to COVID-19 infection (A) and outpatients (B), and their epidemiological and clinical data were compared. Results: 65 patients were analyzed, 46 (71%) women and 19 (29%) men. Forty-four patients were confirmed with PCR and/or antigen test, and in 21, the diagnosis was based on clinical and X-ray data. Group A included 18 patients. It was found that patients over 65 years were significantly more in group A (44.4% vs 18.8%, p<0.05). There were significant differences between the groups concerning ischemic heart disease (9%/3%, p=0.001), arterial hypertension (10.6%/7.6%, p=0.007), heart failure (3%/0%, p=0.01), diabetes, but not in allergic rhinitis. We did not find a distinction regarding sex, adherence to inhalation therapy and usage of systemic corticosteroids (p>0.05). None of the patients had an exacerbation during the treatment in the hospital and within a month after the hospital discharge. Conclusion: According to the analyses of the study, COVID-19 infection is not a risk factor for asthma exacerbations. The leading causes for the severity of the coronavirus infection in asthmatics are the age and some concomitant diseases.