Asthmatics and COPD patients have more severe outcomes with viral infections than people without obstructive disease.
To evaluate if obstructive diseases are risk factors for ICU stay and death due to COVID19.
We collected data from the electronic medical record from 596 adult patients hospitalized in University hospital of Liege between 18 of March and 17th of April 2020 for SARS-CoV2 infection. We classified patients in three groups according to the underlying respiratory disease, present prior to COVID19 pandemics.
Among patients requiring hospitalization for COVID19, asthma and COPD accounted for 9.6% and 7.7% respectively. The proportions of asthmatics, COPD and patients without obstructive airway disease hospitalized in ICU were 17.5%, 19.6% and 14% respectively. One third of COPD patients died during hospitalization while only 7.0% of asthmatics and 13.6% of patients without airway obstruction died due to SARS-CoV2. The multivariate analysis showed that asthma, COPD, ICS treatment and OCS treatment were not independent risk factors for ICU admission or death. Male gender (OR:1.9; 95%CI: 1.1 to 3.2) and obesity (OR:8.5; 95%CI: 5.1 to 14.1) were predictors of ICU admission while male gender (OR1.9; 95%CI: 1.1-3.2), older age (OR:1.9; 95%CI: 1.6-2.3), cardiopathy (OR: 1.8; 95%CI: 1.1-3.1) and immunosuppressive diseases (OR: 3.6; 95%CI: 1.5-8.4) were independent predictors of death.
Asthma and COPD are not risk factors for ICU admission and death related to SARS-CoV2 infection.

Copyright © 2020. Published by Elsevier Inc.

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