• CDC
  • Heart Failure
  • Cardiovascular Clinical Consult
  • Adult Immunization
  • Hepatic Disease
  • Rare Disorders
  • Pediatric Immunization
  • Implementing The Topcon Ocular Telehealth Platform
  • Weight Management
  • Screening
  • Monkeypox
  • Guidelines
  • Men's Health
  • Psychiatry
  • Allergy
  • Nutrition
  • Women's Health
  • Cardiology
  • Substance Use
  • Pediatrics
  • Kidney Disease
  • Genetics
  • Complimentary & Alternative Medicine
  • Dermatology
  • Endocrinology
  • Oral Medicine
  • Otorhinolaryngologic Diseases
  • Pain
  • Gastrointestinal Disorders
  • Geriatrics
  • Infection
  • Musculoskeletal Disorders
  • Obesity
  • Rheumatology
  • Technology
  • Cancer
  • Nephrology
  • Anemia
  • Neurology
  • Pulmonology

Eosinophilia in Patients with Asthma Found to be Protective against Severe COVID-19

Article

In the first study of its kind, pre-existing eosinophilia was protective from COVID-19-related hospital admission and mortality in patients with asthma.

In patients with asthma, pre-existing eosinophilia may be protective factor for COVID-19-related hospital admission and mortality, according to a new study published in the January issue of The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology: In Practice.

©Kateryna_Kon/stock.adobe.com

©Kateryna_Kon/stock.adobe.com

“To our knowledge, this is the first study demonstrating a potential protective role of eosinophilia in asthma patients with COVID-19,” wrote authors led by Denisa Ferastraoaru, MD, assistant professor, department of medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, New York. “The exact role of eosinophils in SARS-CoV-2 infection is not understood.”

Ferastraoaru and colleagues conducted a study of 951 patients with asthma and confirmed COVID-19 (mean age, 60.5 years; 31.8% men) from March 14, 2020 to April 27, 2020. Comorbidities (eg, diabetes, hypertension, congestive heart failure), laboratory results, and mortality rates during hospitalization were recorded.

In total, 737 participants (77.5%) were seen in the emergency department (ED), with 581 of those participants (78.8%) admitted to the ED.

Participants with previously measured mean absolute eosinophil counts (AEC) of ≥150 cells/μL had a lower likelihood of ED admission (odds ratio [OR]=0.46; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.21-0.98; P=.04). Risk factors for ED admission included concomitant heart failure, chronic kidney disease, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Hospitalized patients with asthma who had peak hospital-measured AEC of ≥150 cells/μL (n=104) were less likely to die vs those whose AEC remained <150 cells/μL (n=231) (mortality rate 9.6% vs 25.8%; OR=0.006, 95% CI: 0.0001-0.64; P=.03).

Also, the mortality rate in patients with asthma but no associated comorbidities (18.4%) was similar to that of patients without asthma or any comorbidities (13.5%) (OR=1.41; 95% CI: 0.28-7.12; P=0.6).

“Further prospective and mechanistic studies are needed to explore the exact role of eosinophils in COVID-19 mortality, as well as the influence of different asthma characteristics on outcomes of patients with asthma and COVID-19 infection,” concluded study authors.


For more COVID-19 coverage for primary care, visit our COVID-19 Resource Page.
Recent Videos
"Vaccination is More of a Marathon than a Sprint"
Vaccines are for Kids, Booster Fatigue, and Other Obstacles to Adult Immunization
Document COVID Sequelae and Primary Care: An Interview with Samoon Ahmad, MD
© 2024 MJH Life Sciences

All rights reserved.