Alliance for Pandemic Preparedness

September 30, 2020

Risk of COVID-19-Related Death among Patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease or Asthma Prescribed Inhaled Corticosteroids: An Observational Cohort Study Using the OpenSAFELY Platform

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  • In a large cohort of people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in the UK (n=148,557), and asthma (818,490), Schultze et al. found an increased risk of COVID-19 related death associated with use of inhaled corticosteroids, compared to other commonly-used medications.
  • The authors note that the observed increased risks could be attributed to unmeasured confounding due to disease severity. They further note that the results do not support the regular use of inhaled corticosteroids for protection against COVID-19 mortality in people with COPD or asthma.

Schultze et al. (Sept 24, 2020). Risk of COVID-19-Related Death among Patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease or Asthma Prescribed Inhaled Corticosteroids: An Observational Cohort Study Using the OpenSAFELY Platform. The Lancet Respiratory Medicine. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2213-2600(20)30415-X