Almost a third of young adults with asthma are ignoring COVID-19 guidelines, says survey - Taylor & Francis Newsroom

We use cookies to improve your website experience. To learn about our use of cookies and how you can manage your cookie settings, please see our Cookie Policy. By closing this message, you are consenting to our use of cookies.

Breaking research

9th December 2020

Almost a third of young adults with asthma are ignoring COVID-19 guidelines, says survey


asthma inhaler

Awareness of guidelines to prevent COVID-19 is high among young asthma sufferers but around a third do not comply with them, according to a new survey published in the Journal of Asthma. The results also reveal that a fifth of asthmatics believe they have no risk of suffering from COVID-19.

While asthma patients can be assumed to be at higher risk of developing respiratory complications from COVID-19, little is known about their adherence to prevention measures. To find out more, Professor Francisco Vázquez-Nava of the Autonomous University of Tamaulipas, in Mexico, and colleagues surveyed 2,372 young adults aged 16-24 years from the Tampico–Madero–Altamira area, northwest of Mexico City, via an emailed questionnaire.

The researchers found that more than half (53.1%) of all respondents were not complying with the guidelines for COVID-19 prevention. Of those with asthma (12.2%), 100% were aware of the guidelines and measures established to prevent COVID-19 but 30.8% said they did not comply with them. A fifth (20.4%) of asthmatic participants believed they had no risk of suffering from COVID-19, and 3.8% stated that the disease did not exist.

Being male, a smoker and believing that COVID-19 is not more severe for people suffering from asthma made respondents less likely to follow measures for the prevention of COVID-19. The authors believe this is the first study to show such a relationship.

The study also found that 44.3% of patients with asthma hadn’t received instructions from their doctor about the measures they should take to prevent COVID-19, and 20.4% were not advised by their treating doctor about the use of medications to control asthma during the pandemic. This is of particular concern as 20.4% of the asthmatic participants thought they had no risk of suffering from COVID-19, and 3.8% stated that the disease did not exist.

“Our results show that a substantial percentage of asthma patients do not comply with COVID-19 mitigation measures. Moreover, an important proportion of asthmatic patients smoke and consider that COVID-19 is not a serious disease for them. It’s important that people who suffer from asthma be advised by a health professional during the COVID-19 outbreak regarding compliance with basic measures of protection against the disease and the timely use of medications for asthma control,” the authors conclude.