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Comorbidity defines risk of asthmatics for COVID-19 hospitalization: a global perspective
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  • Chrysanthi Skevaki,
  • Sharon Chinthrajah,
  • Daria Fomina,
  • Gernot Rohde,
  • Shu Cao,
  • Ziyuan He,
  • Sofia Serdotetskova,
  • Christian Seidemann,
  • Achim Grünewaldt,
  • Abisha Vengadeswaran,
  • Min Xie,
  • Antonina Karsonova,
  • Alexander Karaulov,
  • Kari Nadeau,
  • Ho-Ryun Chung,
  • Harald Renz
Chrysanthi Skevaki
Philipps-Universitat Marburg Fachbereich Medizin

Corresponding Author:chrysanthi.skevaki@uk-gm.de

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Sharon Chinthrajah
Stanford University Stanford Prevention Research Center
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Daria Fomina
Pervyj Moskovskij gosudarstvennyj medicinskij universitet imeni I M Secenova
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Gernot Rohde
Universitatsklinikum Frankfurt Klinik fur Augenheilkunde
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Shu Cao
Stanford University Stanford Prevention Research Center
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Ziyuan He
Stanford University Stanford Prevention Research Center
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Sofia Serdotetskova
Moscow Clinical Research Centre
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Christian Seidemann
Philipps-Universitat Marburg Fachbereich Medizin
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Achim Grünewaldt
Universitatsklinikum Frankfurt Klinik fur Augenheilkunde
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Abisha Vengadeswaran
Goethe-Universitat Frankfurt am Main Bibliothek Naturwissenschaften
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Min Xie
Tongji Hospital of Tongji Medical College of Huazhong University of Science and Technology
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Antonina Karsonova
Pervyj Moskovskij gosudarstvennyj medicinskij universitet imeni I M Secenova
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Alexander Karaulov
Pervyj Moskovskij gosudarstvennyj medicinskij universitet imeni I M Secenova
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Kari Nadeau
Stanford University Stanford Prevention Research Center
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Ho-Ryun Chung
Philipps-Universitat Marburg Fachbereich Medizin
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Harald Renz
Philipps-Universitat Marburg Fachbereich Medizin
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Abstract

Background: The global epidemiology of asthma among COVID-19 patients presents striking geographic differences defining high and low [asthma and COVID-19] co-occurrence prevalence zones (1). The objective of the present study was to compare asthma prevalence among hospitalized COVID-19 patients in major global hubs across the world with the application of common inclusion criteria and definitions. Methods: We built a network of six academic hospitals in Stanford (Stanford University)/USA, Frankfurt (Goethe University), Giessen (Justus Liebig University) and Marburg (Philipps University)/Germany, and Moscow (Clinical Hospital 52 in collaboration with Sechenov University)/Russia. We collected clinical and laboratory data for patients hospitalized due to COVID-19. Comorbidities reported were based on the 2020 International Classification of Diseases-10th Revision codes. Results: Asthmatics were overrepresented among hospitalized COVID-19 patients in Stanford and underrepresented in Moscow and Germany as compared to the prevalence among adults in the local community. Asthma prevalence was similar among ICU and hospital non-ICU patients, which implied that the risk for developing severe COVID-19 was not higher among asthmatics. The number of males and comorbidities was higher among COVID-19 patients in the Stanford cohort, and the most frequent comorbidities among these asthma patients were other chronic inflammatory airway disorders such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Conclusion: Observed disparity in COVID-19-associated risk among asthmatics across countries and continents is connected to varying prevalence of underlying comorbidities, particularly COPD. Public health policies in the future will need to consider comorbidities with an emphasis on COPD for prioritization of vaccination and preemptive treatment.
Jan 2023Published in Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology volume 151 issue 1 on pages 110-117. 10.1016/j.jaci.2022.09.039