Study says inhalers OK to use amid COVID-19 concerns

Date:
July 9, 2020
Source:
University of Huddersfield
Summary:
Researchers find that the benefits of inhalers for asthma sufferers
outweigh the risks of contracting coronavirus, following concerns
raised after WHO warned that steroids could reduce immunity.



FULL STORY ==========================================================================
The benefits of using inhalers and nebulisers containing steroids outweigh
the risks despite warnings to the contrary during the COVID-19 pandemic,
a study by University of Huddersfield researchers has found.


==========================================================================
A warning issued by WHO in March advised that steroids used in inhalers
and nebulisers could have a negative effect on a user's immunity system, leaving them more susceptible to COVID-19. The concern was that regular
steroid use could leave users vulnerable to contracting the virus,
or developing a more severe version than non-users.

WHO's cautionary note caused worry for people with asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), leaving them unsure about whether
they could keep using inhalers and nebulisers or not. The British
Thoracic Society had reported that demand for inhalers had jumped by 400%, leading to shortages in the UK, following WHO's announcement.

However, Dr Hamid Merchant and Dr Syed Shahzad Hasan from the University
of Huddersfield commissioned research into the use of steroids and risk
of infections, especially viral infections of the upper respiratory
tract. That included previous outbreaks of SARS, as well as the COVID-19 pandemic.

"It confused a lot of people," says Dr Hasan. "After the WHO advice,
people thought that continuous use of steroids would leave them at
a greater risk of contracting the virus or developing more than a
mild version of CoViD-19." Inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) and oral corticosteroids (OCS) are prescribed to help asthma sufferers and those
with COPD, with inhalers used to prevent attacks.

The study has been published in Respiratory Medicine, having assessed
evidence and findings from a range of bodies including the British
Thoracic Society and the National Institute for Health and Care
Excellence (NICE). The other authors in the study included Toby Capstick
(a consultant pharmacist on respiratory medicine at Leeds Teaching
Hospitals NHS Trust), Syed Tabish Zaidi (Associate Professor in Pharmacy
at the University of Leeds) and Chia Siang Kow (a clinical pharmacist
from Malaysia).

"We found there is strong evidence that the benefits of continuing with steroids outweighs the risk," declares Dr Merchant.

"There is a risk that the immune system goes down, and there is a chance
of acquiring infections but the benefits of continuing with steroids
throughout were higher than the risks. We concluded by saying that the
patients should continue their regular medicines including steroids."

========================================================================== Story Source: Materials provided by University_of_Huddersfield. Note:
Content may be edited for style and length.


========================================================================== Journal Reference:
1. Syed Shahzad Hasan, Toby Capstick, Syed Tabish Razi Zaidi,
Chia Siang
Kow, Hamid A. Merchant. Use of corticosteroids in asthma and COPD
patients with or without COVID-19. Respiratory Medicine, 2020;
170: 106045 DOI: 10.1016/j.rmed.2020.106045 ==========================================================================

Link to news story: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/07/200709141544.htm

--- up 24 weeks, 2 days, 2 hours, 34 minutes
* Origin: -=> Castle Rock BBS <=- Now Husky HPT Powered! (1337:3/111)