Real‐time effects of COVID‐19 pandemic lockdown on pediatric respiratory patients

Abstract

Objective: A national lockdown was implemented in Israel to slow the viral spread of COVID-19. We assessed the real-time effects of the lockdown on disease expression and lifestyle modifications in pediatric patients with chronic respiratory disorders.Methods: An anonymous electronic questionnaire was distributed during lockdown (March-May 2020) to caregivers of patients with chronic respiratory disorders. The primary outcome was change in disease expression and the secondary outcomes were changes in lifestyle and caregivers' emotional status. Results:The clinical status of one-third of the 445 participating patients (age 0-18 years) reportedly improved, including decreased respiratory symptoms (n = 133, 33%), exacerbation frequency (n = 147, 35%), and use of reliever medications (n = 101, 27.4%). The condition of~10% of the patients worsened. Clinical improvement was noted mostly in young patients <5 years (p = .001), asthmatic patients (p = .033), and patients with multiple underlying respiratory disorders (p = .015). Patients whose condition significantly worsened were more likely to be >5 years (p < .001), had increased screen time, decreased physical activity, and shorter sleep duration compared to their younger counterparts (p = .008, <.001, and .001, respectively). Caregivers' reports (n = 236 [58%]) of their own anxiety levels and perceptions of the patients' elevated health risk were increased, regardless of the children's actual clinical status.Conclusion: COVID-19 lockdown was associated with clinical improvement/stability for most of the surveyed children; however, their caregivers' anxiety level was heightened. An increased sedentary lifestyle was reported mostly in older children.

Chronic respiratory diseases other than asthma in children: the COVID-19 tsunami

“…Among these, the most common disorders were asthma (291 patients), recurrent pneumonia (96 patients) and bronchopulmonary dysplasia (32 patients). Notably, the results showed that during the first-wave lockdown, the clinical status worsened in about 10% of patients, who were more likely to be older than 5 years and to have increased screen time, decreased physical activity, and shorter sleep duration [76].…”

COVID-19 Pandemic and Reduced Physical Activity: Is There an Impact on Healthy and Asthmatic Children?

“…Using wearable sensors to continuously track personal location and PA, Kouis et al assessed changes in mobility of asthmatic children in Cyprus and Greece, reporting an overall increase of time spent at home and a decrease of PA level ( 27 ). In Israel, a study using an electronic questionnaire submitted during lockdown (March–May 2020) to caregivers of children and adolescents with asthma and other chronic respiratory disorders demonstrated that patients aged >5 years had increased screen time, and decreased PA compared to their younger counterparts ( p = 0.008 and p < 0.001, respectively) ( 28 ).…”

House dust mite sensitization and frequent antibiotic courses may suppress remission of rhinosinusitis and asthma symptoms in young children

“…To the Editor, The reduced morbidity of chronic inflammatory disorders of airways in children during the COVID-19 pandemic has been observed 1,2 ; however, the restriction related to the lockdown may also have a long-lasting negative impact on the clinical care of patients. 3 Despite this dichotomy, pandemic isolation offers a unique opportunity to understand better the phenomenon of remission (or progression) of chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) and asthma symptoms in young children.…”