Guide for asthma sufferers during the covid pandemic

One group that is considered prone to developing severe conditions when infected with COVID-19 are people with asthma. So, what needs to be prepared for asthma sufferers to deal with the pandemic disease that also attacks the respiratory tract?

Tips for dealing with COVID-19 for people with asthma

According to the American Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), people with moderate to severe asthma are likely to be at higher risk of developing complications from COVID-19.

The reason is, the disease that has spread throughout the world affects the respiratory tract of the sufferer. As a result, asthma attacks may inevitably lead to pneumonia and acute respiratory illness.

Meanwhile, so far there is no specific vaccine and drug to treat this virus. Therefore, implementing efforts to prevent transmission of COVID-19, such as washing hands regularly and physical distancing is the most effective prevention.

This applies to anyone, including people with asthma. However, you may need to add additional precautionary measures given the health conditions that are more at risk of complications of COVID-19.

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1. Reducing activities outside the home

One of the tips for dealing with COVID-19 for people with asthma is to reduce activities outside the home. Just like the general public, being at home can help slow the spread of the virus.

If you have asthma and don't need to go to the office or work outside the home, try to go outside only for the following purposes:

• shop for the necessary groceries and medicines
• occasionally exercising once a day
• meet medical needs, such as regular consultations with doctors
• go to work to the office

Apart from being able to reduce going outside, avoiding touching your face when your hands haven't been washed is also necessary. In fact, it's a good idea to use a tissue to wipe your nose when you sneeze or cough.

2. Implement asthma treatment with care

For people with asthma, the COVID-19 pandemic requires them to increase their vigilance. What's more, the symptoms of COVID-19 look similar to those of asthma, so even distinguishing between them can be difficult.

This is because when people with asthma experience an infection in the respiratory tract, their asthma symptoms will appear.

Therefore, the best course of action you can take is to implement a few simple steps to manage asthma symptoms during a pandemic, such as:

• keep using the inhaler for the allotted time
• carry a reliever inhaler (colored blue) every day, especially when asthma symptoms occur
• continue ongoing treatment, including steroid-filled inhalers
• make peak flow daily to differentiate between asthma and COVID-19 symptoms
• avoid asthma triggers
• provide stock of medicines if necessary at home for a long time
• quitting smoking to reduce the risk of contracting COVID-19
• trying to manage anxiety during a pandemic that can trigger an asthma attack

Thus, you can pass the days in peace during the COVID-19 pandemic because of the guidance when an asthma attack occurs.

3. Get help from others to disinfect the goods

In addition to preparing medicines and plans for when an asthma attack occurs, asthma sufferers also need to clean items with disinfectants, especially during COVID-19.

If possible, try to get help from other people who don't have asthma to clean things using a disinfectant. The reason is, the ingredients in the disinfectant allow you to have an asthma attack, so it's better to ask other people for help.

Here are some things that people with asthma need to pay attention to when cleaning items and rooms with disinfectants.

• not in the same room
• minimize the use of disinfectants that can trigger asthma
• open every window and door and use a fan to let air out
• clean the surface of items, such as TV remotes, desks, door handles and desks
• spray or pour the spray product onto a cloth or paper towel

What if an asthma sufferer is infected with COVID-19?

Although various efforts have been made, it is possible for people with asthma to be infected with COVID-19. If this happens to you, there are a number of things you can do when you develop symptoms of COVID-19, namely:

• stay at home and do consultations via the internet
• use a dedicated service for COVID-19 to get advice
• tell your healthcare provider that you have asthma and that the symptoms are worsening
• find out the difference between a normal cough and a cough when infected with COVID-19
• stick to your asthma action plan
• take asthma medication that has been prescribed by your doctor as usual
• ask for help from medical personnel via telephone if the symptoms of COVID-19 do not subside

The use of inhalers can indeed help you relieve asthma symptoms, such as shortness of breath and coughing. However, using an inhaler may not help relieve symptoms caused by COVID-19, such as shortness of breath.

People with asthma and COVID-19 can indeed show the same symptoms, but for different causes. Meanwhile, your inhaler works to fight the symptoms caused by asthma.

If in doubt, don't forget to follow a plan of action when an asthma attack occurs and use a reliever inhaler to relieve chest tightness. If that doesn't work and you're still having trouble breathing, get medical help right away.

Asthma sufferers may be more at risk of developing serious complications from COVID-19. However, careful asthma action planning and ways to prevent COVID-19 need to be done to reduce this risk.

If you feel symptoms of COVID-19, immediately contact a special health service that handles this.