A new survey on asthma patients has revealed that awareness about the Covid-19 pandemic is high among young asthmatic adults. However, about a third of them do not comply with Covid-19 guidelines.

The study, published in the Journal of Asthma, also found that a fifth of asthmatics believe they have no risk of contracting Covid-19.

The study said that asthmatic patients have high risk of developing severe Covid-19 due to breathing issues. But little is known about their adherence to preventive measures.

Also read: Asthma patients less likely to contract Covid-19: Study

To find out their response to Covid-19, Professor Francisco Vázquez-Nava of the Autonomous University of Tamaulipas, in Mexico, and colleagues surveyed 2,372 young adults aged 16-24 years from the Tampico-Madero-Altamira area, northwest of Mexico City, via an emailed questionnaire.

The researchers found that more than half (53.1 per cent) of all respondents were not complying with the guidelines for Covid-19 prevention. Of those with asthma (12.2 per cent), 100 per cent were aware of the guidelines and measures established to prevent Covid-19 but 30.8 per cent said they did not comply with them.

A fifth (20.4 per cent) of the asthmatic participants believed they had no risk of contracting Covid-19, and 3.8 per cent stated that the disease did not exist.

The study also found that 44.3 per cent of patients with asthma hadn’t received instructions from their doctor about the measures they should take to safeguard themselves from being affected by Covid-19. 20.4 per cent were not advised by their treating doctor about the use of medications to control asthma during the pandemic.

Also read: Asthma patients less likely to die from virus, says study

The researchers noted that this is of particular concern as 20.4 per cent of the asthmatic participants thought they had no risk of contracting Covid-19. 3.8 per cent stated that the disease did not exist.

The researchers wrote: “Our results show that a substantial percentage of asthma patients do not comply with Covid-19 mitigation measures. Moreover, an important proportion of asthmatic patients smoke and consider that Covid-19 is not a serious disease for them.”

“It’s important that people who suffer from asthma be advised by a health professional during the Covid-19 outbreak regarding compliance with basic measures of protection against the disease and timely use of medications for asthma control,” the authors conclude.

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