The impact of COVID-19 lockdown measures on the behaviour and morbidity
of children with asthma: a narrative review
Abstract
The spread of COVID-19 and the worldwide implementation of restrictive
measures for the containment of SARS-CoV-2 led to drastic population
behavioural changes. The aim of this review is to summarize the
behavioural changes observed in asthmatic children during this period,
present the concurrent changes in childhood asthma morbidity and discuss
possible implications of these observations for public health and
clinical practice in the post-COVID-19 era. Studies published from
November 2021 to February 2022 were identified from PubMed® and Google
Scholar databases using appropriate search terms. Numerous studies have
assessed the morbidity of children with asthma during lockdown periods
and associated these changes with reduced exposure to environmental
triggers and respiratory viral infections, while a lockdown-independent
increase in patient compliance to treatment was also observed. Within
this context, asthmatic children demonstrated reduced asthma-related
emergency department visits, less usage of systemic steroids and in
general an improved disease control, with some data suggesting a
positive association of asthma control and lockdown stringency. In
summary, this narrative review examines the behavioural changes brought
by lockdowns, their cumulative beneficial effect on paediatric asthmatic
morbidity, and triggers a debate on how public health measures may be
taken to benefit children with asthma in a post-COVID-19 era.