OBJECTIVE Over 6 million pediatric SARS-CoV-2 infections have occurred in the United States, but risk factors for infection remain poorly defined. We sought to evaluate the association between asthma and SARS-CoV-2 infection risk among children. METHODS We conducted a retrospective cohort study of children 5 to 17 years of age receiving care through the Duke University Health System and who had a Durham County, NC residential address. Children were classified as having asthma using previously validated electronic health record-based definitions. SARS-CoV-2 infections were identified based on positive PCR testing of respiratory samples collected between March 1, 2020, and September 30, 2021. We matched children with asthma 1:1 to children without asthma using propensity scores and used Poisson regression to evaluate the association between asthma and SARS-CoV-2 infection risk. RESULTS Of 46,900 children, 6,324 (13.5%) met criteria for asthma. Children with asthma were more likely to be tested for SARS-CoV-2 infection than children without asthma (33.0% vs. 20.9%, p<0.0001). In a propensity score-matched cohort of 12,648 children, 706 (5.6%) children tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 infection, including 350 (2.8%) children with asthma and 356 (2.8%) children without asthma [risk ratio: 0.98, 95% confidence interval: 0.85-1.13]. There was no evidence of effect modification of this association by inhaled corticosteroid prescription, history of severe exacerbation, or comorbid atopic diseases. Only one child with asthma required hospitalization for SARS-CoV-2 infection. CONCLUSIONS After controlling for factors associated with SARS-CoV-2 testing, we found that children with asthma have a similar SARS-CoV-2 infection risk as children without asthma.

Importance: More than 4 million SARS-COV-2 infections have occurred among children and adolescents in the United States. Risk factors for SARS-CoV-2 infection among children remain poorly defined. Objective: To evaluate the association between asthma and the risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection among children. Design: Retrospective cohort study Setting: A large, integrated health system in central North Carolina. Participants: Children 5 to 17 years of age with a Durham County address and at least one health care encounter in the Duke University Health System between March 1, 2017, and February 28, 2020. Exposure: Diagnosis of asthma Main Outcomes and Measures: The primary outcome was SARS-CoV-2 infection identified by PCR testing of a respiratory sample collected between March 1, 2020, and October 31, 2020. We matched children with asthma 1:1 to children without asthma using propensity scores and used Poisson regression to evaluate the association between asthma and the risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection. We assessed for effect modification of this association by inhaled corticosteroid prescription and comorbid atopic diseases. Results: Of 49,455 children, 6,515 (13%) met criteria for a diagnosis of asthma; all children with asthma were matched to a control child without asthma for a final cohort of 13,030 children. Median (interquartile range) age was 11.0 (8.0, 14.0) years, 56% were male, and 78% were non-White. A diagnosis of asthma was associated with a decreased risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection [risk ratio (RR): 0.67, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.49-0.92]. This association tended to be stronger in children with asthma who were prescribed inhaled corticosteroids (RR: 0.60, 95% CI: 0.38-0.94) or who had comorbid atopic diseases (RR: 0.59, 95% CI: 0.39-0.88). Of the 66 children with asthma who developed SARS-CoV-2 infection, none required hospitalization for COVID-19. Conclusions and Relevance: Children with asthma had a lower risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection, particularly children prescribed an inhaled corticosteroid or with comorbid atopic diseases. Further studies are needed to explore the complex relationship between asthma, inhaled corticosteroids, and SARS-CoV-2.

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