Covid-19 lockdown: management of children with recurrent wheezing and
asthma in Spain.
Abstract
Introduction: The effect of lockdown measures due to COVID-19 pandemic
in children with respiratory underlying conditions are still unclear. We
analyzed the impact of lockdown measures in the management and evolution
of children with asthma and preschool wheeze during the first wave of
COVID-19. Matherial and Methods: observational study carried out in
children with recurrent wheezing or asthma before and after the
implementation of the lockdown by using: a questionnaire aimed to
examine pre-existing respiratory disorders, step treatment (according to
Spanish Guide for Asthma Management) and level of asthma control
before/after lockdown (CAN questionnaire), COVID history and laboratory
testing including IgG SARS-CoV-2. Results: we enrolled 475 asthmatic and
preschool wheezers (60.6% males), mean age 5.6 years. There were not
differences in asthma treatment comparing both periods, since 81.7%
maintained the same treatment (p=0.103). According to CAN questionnaire
87.7% remained well controlled during confinement. Nearly a third of
children (34.9%) needed reliever treatment, mainly in older children.
Determination of IgG SARS-CoV-2 was performed in 233 children (49.1%)
of whom 17 (7.3%) tested positive. Seven patients positive to IgG
SARS-CoV-2 were assisted in the emergency department and two required
hospital admission. Conclusions: During the COVID-19 lockdown most of
the children with asthma and recurrent wheezing maintained their
preventive treatments unchanged and remained well controlled from their
underlying disease. Our results suggest that children that tested
positive to IgG SARS-CoV-2 showed significant increase in paediatric
hospital admissions and attendances to urgent care settings.