Lung expert encourages asthma sufferers to wear a face covering
A lung expert has encouraged asthma sufferers to wear a face covering wherever possible.
This week it was revealed children with poorly controlled asthma were up to six times more likely to be hospitalised with COVID.
Conversely a number of asthma sufferers have not been wearing masks because of their condition.
Professor James Chalmers, from Killearn, said“it is even more important if you have a lung condition like asthma to protect yourself as much as possible, as well as protecting others”.
Research by a team from the universities of Edinburgh, Aberdeen, Glasgow, Strathclyde and St Andrews as well as Public Health Scotland analysed data from the Eave II COVID-tracking project. They found children with bad asthma were at higher risk of being hospitalised with COVID-19. The research from the study - looking at children aged five to 17 - was published in The Lancet Respiratory Medicine.
Vaccines are currently offered to children aged 12 and over but not to under 12s. Following this study a call has this week been made for the vaccine to be offered to high-risk children.
James Chalmers - who lives in Perth - is the British Lung Foundation Chair of Respiratory Research. He would like to see asthma sufferers further protect themselves by wearing a face mask.
He said:“Nearly all of my patients including those with very severe lung conditions are able to wear a mask. Some people with lung conditions find them uncomfortable but I encourage all of my patients wherever possible to keep wearing them, as it is even more important if you have a lung condition like asthma to protect yourself as much as possible, as well as protecting others.
“Studies have consistently shown there is no harmful effect of wearing a mask on lung function or lung symptoms in people with conditions like asthma or COPD, so at every opportunity I reassure my patients with lung conditions that they can wear them safely and it’s an important thing to do to keep themselves and others safe.
“Charities like Asthma UK also emphasise that people with lung conditions should usually be able to wear a mask.”