Projects per year
Abstract
Background The impact of COVID-19 and ensuing
national lockdown on asthma exacerbations is unclear.
Methods We conducted an interrupted time-series
(lockdown on 23rd March as point of interruption)
analysis in asthma cohort identified using a validated
algorithm from a national-level primary care database,
the Optimum Patient Care Database. We derived asthma
exacerbation rates for every week and compared
exacerbation rates in the period: January–August
2020 with a pre-COVID-19 period, January–August
2016–2019. Exacerbations were defined as asthma related hospital attendance/admission (including
accident and emergency visit), or an acute course of oral
corticosteroids with evidence of respiratory review, as
recorded in primary care. We used a generalised least
squares modelling approach and stratified the analyses
by age, sex, English region and healthcare setting.
Results From a database of 9 949 387 patients, there
were 100 165 patients with asthma who experienced
at least one exacerbation during 2016–2020. Of 278
996 exacerbation episodes, 49 938 (17.9%) required
hospital visit. Comparing pre-lockdown to post-lockdown
period, we observed a statistically significant reduction
in the level (−0.196 episodes per person-year; p<0.001;
almost 20 episodes for every 100 patients with asthma
per year) of exacerbation rates across all patients. The
reductions in level in stratified analyses were: 0.005–
0.244 (healthcare setting, only those without hospital
attendance/admission were significant), 0.210–0.277
(sex), 0.159–0.367 (age), 0.068–0.590 (region).
Conclusions There has been a significant reduction
in attendance to primary care for asthma exacerbations
during the pandemic. This reduction was observed in
all age groups, both sexes and across most regions in
England.
Original language | English |
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Journal | Thorax |
Early online date | 29 Mar 2021 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | E-pub ahead of print - 29 Mar 2021 |
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COVID-19: Early Assessment of COVID-19 epidemiology and Vaccine/anti-viral Effectiveness (EAVE II)
1/04/20 → 30/09/22
Project: Research
-
AUKCAR - renewal
Sheikh, A., Pinnock, H. & Tsanas, T.
UK central government bodies/local authorities, health and hospital authorities
1/05/19 → 30/04/24
Project: Research
-
AUKCAR - renewal
UK central government bodies/local authorities, health and hospital authorities
1/05/19 → 30/04/24
Project: Research