COVID-19 in children with bronchial asthma: Clinical manifestations, course options, approaches to therapy

Introduction. Bronchial asthma (BA) is one of the most common chronic lung diseases in children. At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, BA, like other lung diseases, was considered a risk factor for the severe course of COVID-19. Aim of the study – to analyze the main clinical manifestations of COVID-19 in children with BA. Material and methods. During 2020, 500 children with BA from the pulmonary department of the Sechenov University Children’s hospital were questioned. 3 % of them (15 children) were with COVID-19. Moreover, clinical picture of COVID-19 was analyzed in other 75 children with BA and 53 children without BA, who were observed in outpatient department and in Moscow pulmonary sanatorium N 15. Results. It has been shown that the symptoms of COVID-19 can be similar to those of an exacerbation of asthma and manifest itself as dry cough and shortness of breath, and fever, which can also be observed with exacerbations of asthma against the background of a respiratory infection of any genesis. Conclusion. Based on the factual clinical material, it was shown that the new coronavirus infection is easier in children, and in asthmatics among patients with less pronounced clinical symptoms.