Asthmatics’ during Covid19

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Would anyone like to join this thread for asthmatics during this outbreak?

I’m mid 30s in England. Have had asthma since childhood, hospitalised a few times (not for 5+ years now) and the odd course of oral steroids for flare ups plus daily inhalers. I got the extremely vulnerable text message today.

Hi can I ask some opinion
I have a ds who has asthma and have moved so much that his gp doesn't have records past maybe the last two times he needed steroid tablets prescription and one course of antibiotics in the last six or eight months. I give him a tablet when he needs one and a pack has lasted a while. I have heard nothing but would he be in a vulnerable group ? I am quite worried how the virus could affect him to the extent that frequently going out to the supermarket is of some concern to me.

@chemicallyburntduck worrying for you. It sounds like your son would fall into the vulnerable group but not the extremely vulnerable group, so be very careful with social distancing and hand-washing. P.S. Please don’t give your son steroids or antibiotics one tablet at a time ad hoc (unless you have for some reason had medical advice to do this). They are designed to be given as a course.

I just don't know what else to do when he coughs and coughs. It gets worse if I don't treat it

Although he hasn't had that for a little while

@Theodoreb yes, I think anyone who isn’t afraid of this virus must not know what it’s like to struggle to breathe.

I’ve felt like I was overreacting as lots of people have asthma and I think some people believe I am being overcautious.

I’m also looking for some advice, if anyone is able to. DD is 6 and has some respiratory issues. It all began when she was around 10 weeks old and DH and I woke to the most awful cough. We took her to a&e where they confirmed it was croup and she received treatment for that. Anyway, DD has had croup around 30 times. Sometimes pretty severe cases of it which have required more trips to a&e in the night.

Last year, DD had what I believed was a bad case of croup. I filmed her coughing and went to the GP in the morning and asked for a course of steroids. The GP listened carefully and explained that it wasn’t croup, it was viral wheeze. We were given inhalers which proved effective. We used them on numerous occasions over the months that followed.

Then one night in December, she came running through to our room in a huge panic, barely able to say one word at a time. We ran and got her inhaler and gave her 10 puffs and thank god she was okay after that. What a scary moment that was. We took her to the GP in the morning where they came up with an asthma care plan and I was unofficially told it’s asthma that she has although they couldn’t give her the diagnosis as she was too young. She ended up at out of hours a few days later where a doctor said she now had croup. The asthma nurse at the GP surgery said that if she has any further episodes, it will be time for a referral to respiratory.

I haven’t had any contact from the GP about the risks of coronavirus to DD. I called one day and spoke to a junior doctor whose advice was just that it doesn’t affect kids so she’ll be fine. We know now this isn’t true.

Should we be shielding DD? Thanks.

No, I don't think so. I'm not a doctor but a couple of flair ups managed without hospitalisation and controlled by the occasional use of ventolin, if I have understood you correctly, isn't something that would be considered severe and I wouldn't be concerned that they haven't asked you to shield.

Can I ask asthma people about what I should do next? Am I just to wait this out?

I am long term asthmatic I take symbicort supposed to be 1 puff twice a day. I usually end up with steroids once a year.

2 weeks ago woke up feeling gross and clearly had a noisy respiratory infection of some kind in one lung (this is typical for me in winter in 1 lung too). Peak flow down 150 and I felt horrible

Upped symbicort immediately to 2x 2 a day and terbutaline when required. GP gave me amoxicillin over the phone for 7 days which I finished a week ago

Now I can breathe a bit easier and I am way less out of breath than I was, but my peak flow remains constantly 100 lower than usual and I am still needing reliever about 10 times a day sometimes, especially in the AM

I still have a wheeze and productive cough and I can still hear lung rattling and crackling. What comes up is pale yellow.

GP won’t see me, won’t prescribe anything else and basically said just call 999 if you can’t breathe. They would want to give me steroids but can’t. I don’t know what my sats are as I have no monitor. I have pretty much been coughing all morning so far since I woke up

In the mean time my manager has expected me back into the office (I am NHS) so I had to go to work for 2 days last week. Except for that I had been completely isolating for 2 whole weeks. So I don’t know if I am recovering from CV or walking around with a low immune system ready to catch it

Am I just impatient and this is going to take a few weeks?

What's it down 100 to? How are you physically- what are you not able to do right now that you would be able to otherwise? Are you getting decent relief from your reliever? Could you get an oximeter delivered to you - mine cost about £16 and it's fab.

It’s usually 550 max and i can’t get it above 450

I feel like I do get relief eventually but usually after a lot of puffs and trying to lay on my front with bum up to drain it off a bit

I’m back to pretty much everything as usual except I would be able to do any vigorous exercise or walk fast and talk at the same time

*not be able

I think you feel like you are struggling at the moment then you should tell work that your asthma isn't controlled and that you cannot come in.

It's good that you can get some relief from your ventolin. Is there any chance you could get an appt with your asthma nurse, they can be a lot more helpful than a gp?

Also, could you run a shower to make your bathroom steamy, that can irritate the lungs enough to hock up some of that phlegm. Plenty of water to drink too. And black coffee might help too although you are not meant to say it

They only taking telephone calls over the phone for all patients so I would need to get past a GP first I think to a nurse - and my asthma review is not due I already had it!

I’ve spoken to 3 GP’s now, all of them who basically said there is nothing else we could do to treat you right now. Just take your inhaler. Wondering if there is anything else I can do to help myself

And my manager is not going to listen - even when other clinicians have told me I should not be there. She is assuming I’ve had CV and my self isolation period is over. I’m young and my asthma is not severe so I am just taking my chances really

Thanks re shower I have been doing this and hot baths too

Where did you get your oximeter?

This is the asthma UK helpline 0300 222 5800. In all honesty, I've never used them but they might be able to help you - at the very least they should be able to guide you on your rights when approaching things with work.

Just on Amazon. Just a small pulse oximeter. I'll see if I can find my exact one for you but they are all pretty much the same.

Sorry, I can't find my own anymore and there seems to be a significant premium for one that will arrive quickly. You might be better off looking wider than Amazon.

Update from me that might be helpful. I’ve spoken to work today and been agreed that when I go back I’ll be redeployed to an area that isn’t patient facing, however I said I won’t be back until next week because despite the second lot of steroids I’m still having asthma attacks at least once a day and needing my salbutamol a lot.

Update;

Finished steroids. Temp has gone straight back up to 38 C, feeling really ill and hot again. Persistent coughing is back. Taken paracetemol for the temp. Finish antibiotics tomorrow. Breathing is still better than it was but chest hurts again and according to my other half my lungs sound 'scratchy' when I breathe? Calling GP tomorrow but any tips in the meantime? Taking my blue inhaler as and when and trying not to worry but it's hard not to.

Have you ever been told to use your blue inhaler in a spacer and do a certain number of puffs into it? Just incase you have been instructed to do that before when things are bad, you could try that.

You can either do the 6(?) puffs into a spacer or 10 puffs every 30-60 seconds to manage breathlessness. If neither give relief it is a medical emergency and worth calling 999.
I’m finding inhaling steam is helping me when I’m really breathless at the moment but it’s not always the best thing for all asthmatics so do that with caution!

I’m 20, 25 weeks pregnant and asthmatic. I had an asthma attack last Friday and couldn’t find my salbutamol inhaler :( but was I buggery going to A&E where there are 122 cases!