What Do We Know About Asthma and Long COVID?
This is an area that needs much more research to provide a specific answer to your question. Patients who have COVID-19 symptoms lasting for several months have been referred to as “long COVID-19” or “long-haul COVID-19" patients. This includes patients with asthma.
Most children who have a COVID-19 infection experience minimal symptoms lasting 1-2 weeks. Approximately 10% of children have ongoing symptoms. This is about 3 months following the initial infection. No specific causes or risk factors have been determined for long COVID-19 syndrome. A variety of symptoms can be seen. This includes:
- Fatigue
- Trouble breathing
- Chest pain
- Cough
- Anxiety
- Heart palpitations
- Muscle pain
- Trouble concentrating
Your daughter has had several of these symptoms. A primary concern would be to make sure an effective and comprehensive asthma action plan is in place. Her asthma control should be fully assessed.
Your daughter would benefit from a consultation with an allergy and asthma specialist, in addition to a pulmonologist. They would help in the overall workup and management of her ongoing symptoms. Other conditions, besides COVID-19, that could be causing her symptoms should be considered and ruled out in her workup. Fortunately, most children with long COVID-19 improve within a few months. They then get back to their baseline.
John M. James, MD, is a board-certified allergist. He is also President of Food Allergy Consulting and Education Services, LLC. He has worked as a medical specialist in the field of allergy, asthma, and immunology for over 30 years. Dr. James received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Arkansas and his Doctor of Medicine degree from the University of Tennessee. He is board certified by the American Board of Allergy and Immunology.
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