Published on: September 7, 2020
One of the challenges in managing asthma during COVID-19 is distinguishing the signs and symptoms of an asthma exacerbation from those of COVID-19, which include dry cough and difficulty in breathing.
The other pressing concern is on what happens next if an asthmatic patient contracts COVID-19. During this pandemic, would an asthma patient be more vulnerable and face a higher risk of getting infected by the virus? In an interview with our Consultant Respiratory Physician and Intensivist Dr. Alvin Ng, he clarified that asthma patients generally do not have a higher risk of contracting COVID-19. However, the condition does increase the chances of complications happening if the patient has poorly controlled asthma as it already puts extra strain on the patient’s lungs. If an asthma patient contracts COVID-19, it means the respiratory system would have to fight off two conditions.
Asthma is a chronic condition and patients are either on long-term medication to reduce the frequency of asthma attacks or may be using quick relief medications or both.
His advice to manage asthma during the COVID-19 pandemic includes:
Learn more about how we are keeping our patients safe during COVID-19 here.
Listen as Dr. Alvin Ng discusses how you can better manage your asthma during COVID-19:
Click here for the latest updates and developments on COVID-19.
