Table 1.
Number and rate (per 100 000 people) of being tested, testing positive, COVID-19 hospitalisation, ICU admission, and deaths in adults with asthma, stratified by markers of history of an asthma attack
| Overall number | Number of patients tested | Number testing positive | Number of patients hospitalised with COVID-19 | Number of ICU admissions or deaths* | Number of ICU admissions | Number of deaths | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Asthma | |||||||
| No | 3 860 383 | 1 500 203 (38·9%) | 225 052 (5·8%) | 23 861 (0·6%) | 10 693 (0·3%) | 2463 (0·1%) | 8913 (0·2%) |
| Yes | 561 279 | 271 374 (48·3%) | 39 253 (7·0%) | 4828 (0·9%) | 1600 (0·3%) | 516 (0·1%) | 1206 (0·2%) |
| History of an asthma attack (OCS prescription†) | |||||||
| No asthma | 3 680 316 | 1 414 860 (38·4%) | 215 345 (5·9%) | 20 678 (0·6%) | 9193 (0·2%) | 2198 (0·1%) | 7561 (0·2%) |
| Asthma with no courses of OCS | 440 388 | 204 035 (46·3%) | 30 944 (7·0%) | 2827 (0·6%) | 955 (0·2%) | 297 (0·1%) | 732 (0·2%) |
| Asthma with one course of OCS | 142 583 | 71 258 (50·0%) | 9154 (6·4%) | 1817 (1·3%) | 681 (0·5%) | 171 (0·1%) | 568 (0·4%) |
| Asthma with two courses of OCS | 50 880 | 26 240 (51·6%) | 3124 (6·1%) | 814 (1·6%) | 330 (0·6%) | 88 (0·2%) | 268 (0·5%) |
| Asthma with three or more courses of OCS | 107 496 | 55 184 (51·3%) | 5738 (5·3%) | 2553 (2·4%) | 1134 (1·1%) | 225 (0·2%) | 990 (0·9%) |
| History of an asthma attack (previous hospitalisation‡) | |||||||
| No asthma§ | 3 859 720 | 1 499 858 (38·9%) | 225 009 (5·8%) | 23 845 (0·6%) | 10 689 (0·3%) | 2463 (0·1%) | 8909 (0·2%) |
| Asthma without previous hospitalisation | 555 833 | 267 681 (48·2%) | 38 790 (7·0%) | 4643 (0·8%) | 1557 (0·3%) | 498 (0·1%) | 1178 (0·2%) |
| Asthma with previous hospitalisation | 6110 | 4038 (66·1%) | 506 (8·2%) | 201 (3·3%) | 47 (0·3%) | 18 (0·3%) | 32 (0·5%) |
| History of an asthma attack (previous hospitalisation‡or OCS prescription†) | |||||||
| No asthma§ | 3 680 068 | 1 414 738 (38·4%) | 215 332 (5·9%) | 20 675 (0·6%) | 9192 (0·2%) | 2198 (0·1%) | 7560 (0·2%) |
| Asthma with 0–1 course(s) of OCS and no previous hospitalisation | 580 684 | 273 907 (47·2%) | 39 915 (6·9%) | 4590 (0·8%) | 1625 (0·3%) | 465 (0·1%) | 1292 (0·2%) |
| Asthma with ≥2 courses of OCS or previous hospitalisation | 160 910 | 82 932 (51·5%) | 9058 (5·6%) | 3424 (2·1%) | 1476 (0·9%) | 316 (0·2%) | 1267 (0·8%) |
Data are n or n (%). Denominators of the percentages are those listed in the overall number column. ICU=intensive care unit. OCS=oral corticosteroid.
ICU deaths referred to those who had COVID-19-related ICU admissions or COVID-19-related death with or without previous ICU admissions.
OCS prescriptions for prednisolone, prednisone, and dexamethasone in the 2-year period before March 1, 2020.
Hospitalisation for asthma within 2-year period before March 1, 2020.
The no asthma group under variable asthma was derived using only the general practitioner-recorded diagnosis whereas the no asthma group under the variable history of an asthma attack (OCS prescription) was derived using both general practitioner diagnosis and prescribing records; therefore, patients who never had asthma recorded in their general practice records, but had OCS prescriptions were not included in the second no asthma group, but were included in the first asthma group (using only general practitioner records), which explains the smaller group size.