Are you at further risk of contracting the Covid-19 virus if you are an asthmatic patient?
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), yes.
Asthmatic patients, as well as people with diabetes and heart disease, have an increased risk of “becoming severely ill with the virus”, reports Highway Mail.
However, there is little definitive evidence to say whether asthma increases the likelihood of a person catching the virus.
“The data that we have so far from China and South Korea does not identify people with asthma as being at risk of getting the virus or having a more severe illness with the virus,” said Sebastian Johnston, a professor of respiratory medicine and allergy at the U.K. National Heart and Lung Institute.
The National Asthma Education Programme has urged people with asthma to take extra precautions, as respiratory infections can set off a host of asthma symptoms.
Here is what you can do to reduce your risk:
If you have asthma, and no symptoms of Covid-19:
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