Asthma control, self-management and healthcare access during the
COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing
Abstract
Background Social distancing and restriction measures during the
COVID-19 pandemic may have impacts on asthma control and management in
terms of medication availability and healthcare access. We aimed to
understand the status of asthma control, exacerbations, self-management
and healthcare utilization during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing,
China. Methods Patients with asthma, selected randomly from our hospital
database, were interviewed by phone call. During the interview,
sociodemographic information and clinical data, including status of
asthma control, asthma exacerbation, self-management and medication
before and during the COVID-19 pandemic (From January 25, 2020 to April
25, 2020), were collected. Results We contacted 286 patients, of whom
178 (62.2%) responded with valid results. Before the COVID-19 pandemic,
4.5% (8/178) and 6.7% (12/178) of the patients, respectively, had been
hospitalized and visited emergency departments due to asthma
exacerbations. 66.7% (118/177) had received maintenance medication.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the majority (92.1%, 164/178) of the
patients felt that their symptoms were similar or improved compared with
usual times. The mean ACT score of the patients was 22.76 ± 3.06. 24.7%
(44/178) of patients sought medical care for asthma. 25.6% (45/176) of
the patients ever experienced aggravation of asthma symptoms, but mostly
managed by themselves. 13.5% (24/178) of the patients had worried about
potential shortage of medications and some reduced dosing. Conclusion It
is important for patients to continue taking their prescribed asthma
medications as usual and maintain good asthma control during the ongoing
pandemic.