BRONCHIAL ASTHMA IN CHILDREN DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC: A FEATURE OF THE COURSE

Abstract

The aim of the study is to assess changes in the course of asthma during the COVID-19 pandemic. Material and methods. In the children's department of the 1st Zangiata infectious diseases hospital from March 2020 to January 2021, 27 children with BA of varying severity were observed. We also analyzed the clinical picture in 56 children aged 8–16 years with intermittent and persistent asthma and in 44 children without asthma, who were observed on an outpatient basis in polyclinics in Tashkent. Results. The initial symptoms of COVID-19 developed subacutely: from subfebrile condition in 72 (56.6%) children, and proceeded as acute respiratory infections. Children with BA were significantly more likely to have dry obsessive cough 63 (75.9%). The high frequency of these symptoms in children with asthma may be associated with airway hyperresponsiveness and the presence of allergic rhinitis (AR) (21 (25.3%) children with asthma have concomitant AR). Mucous or muco-serous discharge from the nasal passages, as well as episodes of sneezing, 21 (25.3%) were frequent manifestations. In the group of children without BA, blockage of nasal breathing was noted. Complaints of anosmia, which is one of the common signs in adult patients with COVID-19, were reported in about 7 (8.4%) patients in both groups, which is possibly related to age characteristics and sensations. Conclusion. Based on the actual clinical material, it was shown that the new coronavirus infection in children with BA is easier. According to our data, COVID-19 in children with BA was mostly mild, with moderate clinical symptoms.