The impact of coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic lockdown on asthmatic children: disease burden and practice adjustment

Introduction Asthma is the predominant chronic illness in children and is associated with adverse health outcomes. The unique coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) diminished access to outpatient clinics owing to the reorganization of hospitals to address this epidemic. Aim The study seeks to evaluate the effects of the pandemic lockdown on pediatric asthma cases and the associated strain on their families. Patients and methods A cross-sectional study was performed on a convenient sample of asthmatic children accessing the pulmonology clinic at Cairo University Children’s Hospital. A standardized questionnaire was employed, and personal data from patient records were gathered in around 25 min. Results A total of 207 asthmatic children were included with mean age 7.74±2.5 and male predominance (59.4%). About 80.2% of the included cases were compliant with treatment, 18.4% continued regular follow-up with doctors and 33.8% had the ability to resort to emergency when needed. About 86.5% of them were committed to staying at home and 33.8% showed increased body weight during COVID-19 lockdown. Conclusion COVID-19 lockdown affected asthmatic cases in different aspects (socially, economic, and health aspects).