Asthma as a risk factor associated with lethality by COVID-19

• Grant number: 21/08437-5
• Support type: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Effective date (Start): September 01, 2021
• Effective date (End): February 28, 2023
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Medicine
• Principal researcher: Fernando Augusto de Lima Marson
• Grantee: Felipe Eduardo Valencise
• Home Institution: Universidade São Francisco (USF). Campus Bragança Paulista. Bragança Paulista , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Introduction: The epidemic of the new coronavirus [Coronavirus Disease (COVID)-19)] began in Wuhan Province, China, in December 2019, as a new form of pneumonia that progressed with dry fever and fatigue, in addition to occasional gastrointestinal symptoms. By July 2021, the new coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) was responsible for more than 185 million cases and 4 million deaths worldwide, a number that continues to increase daily. Concomitantly, asthma is a chronic inflammatory airway disorder that affects millions of individuals worldwide and is associated with bronchial hyperresponsiveness, reversible airflow limitation, and diverse respiratory symptoms; being a phenotype resulting from the interaction between genetic factors and environmental factors resulting from exposure to allergens and irritants; whose sum led to the development and maintenance of symptoms. Currently, few studies have been carried out associating asthma with COVID-19. Therefore, the possibility is promoted that asthma is not a risk and poor prognostic factor for COVID-19 since the increase in Th2 response dominance is capable of down-regulating in the late phase of hyperactivity. -inflammation, which is typically the hallmark of more severe respiratory viral infectionsMethods: In the present study, an epidemiological analysis will be performed using demographic and clinical data from OpenDataSUS, in order to verify the severity of COVID-19 infection among patients with and without asthma according to the need for hospitalization, intubation and intensive care unit (ICU), as well as the number of deaths in each group. Additionally, demographic data (gender, age, presence of pregnancy, place of residence, level of education, ethnicity), profile of clinical signs and symptoms (e.g. runny nose, fatigue, tiredness, fever and others) will be compared between groups) and comorbidities (e.g. cardiopathy, obesity, systemic arterial hypertension, and others).Expected results: The study is expected to demonstrate that asthma is a protective factor for lethality in COVID-19, as well as for clinical outcome, disease severity and symptoms presented by patients; and not as a risk factor, as previously thought. (AU)