Impact of COVID-19 on Pediatric Asthma Management

The COVID-19 pandemic has reshaped paediatric asthma management through multifaceted effects on disease control, healthcare delivery and environmental exposures. Across diverse populations, social distancing and school closures markedly reduced transmission of common respiratory viruses, coinciding with a substantial decline in emergency department visits and hospital admissions for asthma exacerbations. At the same time, intensified messaging on medication adherence led to increased use of inhaled corticosteroids and improved peak expiratory flow measurements in many cohorts. Digital health solutions and telemedicine rapidly supplanted traditional in-person reviews, enabling continuity of care while reducing infection risk. Yet the crisis also revealed system vulnerabilities: global supply-chain disruptions prompted occasional shortages of metered-dose inhalers, and concerns about virus exposure deterred some families from seeking timely medical attention. Concurrent environmental shifts, including lower levels of particulate matter but episodic rises in ozone, further modulated exacerbation trends and underscored the critical role of air quality management. Practical applications now focus on preserving beneficial behavioural adaptations such as self-management planning and influenza vaccination, while integrating telehealth and digital monitoring into standard care pathways. These collective experiences highlight the importance of adaptable, multidisciplinary strategies to strengthen resilience in paediatric asthma management and to mitigate the impact of future respiratory threats.

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Impact of COVID-19 on Pediatric Asthma Management publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in impact of covid-19 on pediatric asthma management across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Asthma exacerbation: An acute or subacute episode of worsening respiratory symptoms characterised by increased wheezing, cough and breathlessness that often requires additional medication or medical attention.

Inhaled corticosteroids (ICS): Anti-inflammatory medications delivered directly to the airways to reduce chronic inflammation and prevent asthma symptoms.

Self-management plan: A personalised written guide enabling patients and caregivers to recognise symptom changes, adjust medication doses and know when to seek medical review.

Peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR): A measure of the maximum speed of expiration that indicates airway obstruction severity, typically assessed with a handheld meter.

Telemedicine: The use of digital communication tools to conduct remote clinical consultations and monitor health status without in-person visits.

Interrupted time-series analysis: A statistical method for evaluating the impact of an intervention or event by comparing outcome trends before and after its implementation.

References

1. Modifiable risk factors for asthma exacerbations during the COVID-19 pandemic: a population-based repeated cross-sectional study using the Research and Surveillance Centre primary care database. The Lancet Regional Health - Europe (2024).
2. Impact of COVID-19 national lockdown on asthma exacerbations: interrupted time-series analysis of English primary care data. Thorax (2021).
3. Childhood asthma outcomes during the COVID‐19 pandemic: Findings from the PeARL multi‐national cohort. Allergy (2021).
4. Analyzing COVID-19 and Air Pollution Effects on Pediatric Asthma Emergency Room Visits in Taiwan. Toxics (2024).
5. Sterilization plan of the used metered dose inhalers (MDI) to avoid wastage amid COVID-19 pandemic drug shortage. Journal of Pharmaceutical Policy and Practice (2020).