COVID-19: incidence and mortality in patients with asthma and COPD

To remember

• A meta-analysis of 101 studies found that asthma was more common than chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in the incidence of COVID-19, but COPD carried a higher risk of mortality from COVID-19.

Why is this important?

• Vaccination against COVID-19 should be emphasized in patients with asthma, and even more so in those with COPD.
• COPD’s greatest mortality from COVID-19 may come from the location of its lung lesions: COPD lesions are found in locations in the lungs similar to those affected by moderate to severe COVID-19, while asthma lesions are in a different place in the lungs than those affected by COVID-19.