SARS-CoV-2 infection and COVID-19 in asthmatics: a complex relationship

• Published in: Nature reviews. Immunology Vol. 21; no. 4; pp. 202 - 203
• Main Authors: Skevaki, Chrysanthi, Karsonova, Antonina, Karaulov, Alexander, Fomina, Daria, Xie, Min, Chinthrajah, Sharon, Nadeau, Kari C., Renz, Harald
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 01.04.2021; Nature Publishing Group
• Subjects: 631/250/249/2510/31; 631/250/255/2514; Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme 2 - genetics; Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme 2 - metabolism; Asthma; Asthma - epidemiology; Asthma - immunology; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biomedicine; Children; Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; Comment; Complications and side effects; Coronaviridae; Coronaviruses; COVID-19; COVID-19 - epidemiology; Eosinophilia - immunology; Epidemiology; Humans; Immunology; Interleukin-13 - immunology; Interleukin-4 - immunology; Interleukin-5 - immunology; Lung diseases; Obstructive lung disease; Phenotype; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive - epidemiology; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive - immunology; Receptors, Coronavirus - genetics; Receptors, Coronavirus - metabolism; Risk; RNA, Messenger - metabolism; SARS-CoV-2; Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2; Severity of Illness Index; Th1 Cells - immunology; Th17 Cells - immunology; Th2 Cells - immunology; Germany
• ISSN: 1474-1733; 1474-1741; 1474-1741
• DOI: 10.1038/s41577-021-00516-z

Risk of severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) after infection with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is increased in patients with certain comorbidities, including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). By contrast, epidemiological data from many (but not all) countries indicate a low prevalence of asthma among patients with severe COVID-19. This reduced risk of severe COVID-19 may apply specifically to patients with the type 2 asthma endotype, which is most common in childhood asthma. Somewhat surprisingly, individuals with asthma do not seem to have a greater risk of developing severe COVID-19. Here, the authors offer mechanistic insights to explain the epidemiological data.