Skip to main content
letter
. 2020 Sep 15;202(6):900–902. doi: 10.1164/rccm.202006-2129LE

Table 1.

Heterogeneity of Asthma and Potential Risk of Severe COVID-19

Characteristic of Subject with Asthma No Increased Risk of COVID-19 (or Decreased Risk) Increased Risk of COVID-19
Age Children and adolescents Older subjects
Asthma phenotype Type 2–high asthma Type 2–low asthma
Airway gene expression Type 2 cytokines (e.g., IL-13) IFN-stimulated genes
Systemic inflammation Low IL-6 High IL-6
Comorbidities Allergic sensitization Obesity, diabetes, or hypertension
Asthma severity Mild-to-moderate asthma: GINA steps 1–4 Severe asthma: GINA step 5
Lung function Normal Impaired
Asthma control Well controlled Uncontrolled
Exacerbation frequency No exacerbations Frequent exacerbations
Controller treatment ICS OCS: repetitive bursts or OCS maintenance treatment

Definition of abbreviations: COVID-19 = coronavirus disease; GINA = Global Initiative for Asthma; ICS = inhaled corticosteroids; OCS = oral corticosteroids.