THE IMPACT OF COVID-19 PANDEMIC ISOLATION MEASURES ON PEDIATRIC ASTHMA ADMISSIONS

INTRODUCTION: Asthma is the most common chronic disease in children, with about 1 in 20 asthmatic children annually hospitalized for an exacerbation. Since respiratory viruses are common exacerbation triggers, there were concerns that SARS-CoV2 would lead to increased asthma admissions. We hypothesized that the CDC-implemented pandemic isolation measures would instead lead to a decrease in asthma admissions by limiting the spread of other respiratory viruses. METHODS: A retrospective chart review at a pediatric tertiary care center was conducted. Monthly asthma-related hospitalizations of patients 2-18 years of age were counted. Patients with tracheostomy or ventilator dependence were excluded. Admissions from the start of the pandemic in March 2020 until present were compared to baseline data from the 2 years preceding the pandemic. A Chi-square test was used to compare the uniformity of annual admissions and month-by-month admissions over 5 years. RESULTS: There were 4703 asthma admissions over the 5-year period. There was a statistically significant (p<0.001) decrease in the number of monthly asthma admissions during March 2020-June 2020, when the strictest isolation measures were in place. This decrease, compared to baseline data, persisted for approximately 12 months until again returning to baseline data in Spring 2021, as isolation measures eased. A lower magnitude and shorter duration decrease from baseline admissions was also seen during the Omicron spike. CONCLUSION: Asthma admissions sharply declined during the strictest isolation measures and then returned to baseline levels as the measures eased. This data suggests that isolation measures may reduce respiratory virus transmission and contribute toward reduced pediatric asthma admissions.