COVID-19 and asthma

COVID-19 is an infectious disease pandemic affecting people globally. It causes respiratory infections ranging from the common cold to pneumonia. During this outbreak, people with asthma should continue taking all their medication as prescribed, particularly inhaled corticosteroids. Stopping medication often leads to potentially dangerous worsening of symptoms. A written asthma action plan provided by a healthcare professional can provide guidance on how to manage worsening symptoms.

Many public healthcare institutions have stopped providing the usual nebulization therapy for acute asthma attacks because it can spread COVID-19 by releasing it into the air. Instead you will be given asthma reliever therapy via a spacer, which is as effective as nebulization therapy. This reduces of the spread of COVID and conserves resources.

Asthma in Singapore


With increasing preventer inhaler use, asthma mortality in the Singapore has fallen in the last decade. However, many patients are still not aware that asthma attacks are severe and most severe type of attacks are life-threatening or even fatal. Approximately 50% are mild and 30% were using their blue (salbutamol) inhalers only without their preventers (Yi et al, see press release).