Effect of the COVID-19 Lockdown on Pediatric Bronchial Asthma Patients in Saudi Arabia: A Comparative Study

Manal Bawazeer; Aljowhara F Saad; Bushra S Aljuhani; Sarah S Mawlaalduwilah; Akaber M Aljoudi; Raneem A Gomawi; Nazish Masud

doi:10.7759/cureus.75774

Effect of the COVID-19 Lockdown on Pediatric Bronchial Asthma Patients in Saudi Arabia: A Comparative Study

Cureus. 2024 Dec 15;16(12):e75774. doi: 10.7759/cureus.75774. eCollection 2024 Dec.

Authors

Manal Bawazeer^{1

2

3}, Aljowhara F Saad^{4

3}, Bushra S Aljuhani^{4

3}, Sarah S Mawlaalduwilah^{4

3}, Akaber M Aljoudi^{4

3}, Raneem A Gomawi^{4

3}, Nazish Masud^{5

3}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Pediatrics, King Abdullah Specialized Children's Hospital, Riyadh, SAU.
² Research Unit, Department of Medical Education, King Saud Bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, Riyadh, SAU.
³ Research Office, King Abdullah International Medical Research Center, Riyadh, SAU.
⁴ College of Medicine, King Saud Bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, Riyadh, SAU.
⁵ Research Unit, College of Medicine, King Saud Bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, Riyadh, SAU.

Abstract

Background: The lockdowns imposed during the COVID-19 pandemic and social distancing measures may have decreased traffic and air pollution, which may contribute to reducing asthma exacerbation. However, there is not enough information about the relationship between asthma and COVID-19 lockdown, especially in children. Therefore, the aim of this study is to identify the effects of the COVID-19 lockdown on pediatric patients with moderate to severe bronchial asthma.

Methods: This is a retrospective cross-sectional analytical study of pediatric patients with moderate to severe asthma who came to King Abdullah Specialist Children's Hospital (KASCH) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The study was conducted for a period of 14 months from March 2019 to May 2020, using the charts of children aged 3 to 14 years. We investigated changes in the severity of asthma using indirect parameters including hospital visits, ER visits, and changes in medications used before and during the COVID-19 lockdown.

Results: A total of 343 asthmatic patients aged mean±SD of 8±3 years were included in the study. More than half 233 (68%) of them were male. The number of patients admitted to the hospital in 2019 was 46 patients (85%), while in 2020, it was only 17 patients (32%). In 2020, the usage of oral steroids has been decreased from 96 (28%) to 50 (15%). The number of people using the leukotriene inhibitor reduced from 171 in 2019 to 162 in 2020. The ER mean visit was 1.6±1.3 in 2019; however, ER visits in 2020 were 0.6 ±0.7 showing a considerable reduction in the ER visits (p < 0.001).

Conclusion: The COVID-19 lockdown had a positive impact on asthma patients, with our study showing a significant reduction in ER visits, hospitalizations, and the use of oral steroids between March-May 2019 and 2020, suggesting lower asthma severity. However, a holistic approach is needed post-pandemic to improve asthma management, including increased awareness, better healthcare access, and reduction of environmental triggers to promote better control and overall well-being.

Keywords: children; covid-19; lockdown; moderate asthma; pandemic; severe asthma.