COVID-19 pandemia: Atopy and prospective analysis of the clinical evolution of patients infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus

Abstract

A few scientific evidence is now available to date on the clinical evolution of COVID-19 in atopics. The aim of this study was to assess the frequency of atopy in patients hospitalized for COVID-19. A prospective study was carried out with hard descriptive data of 4 months. During this period, 300 patients were admitted with ARS and positive RT-PCR for SARS-CoV-2. Clinical features, history of atopy, total IgE and chest tomography were evaluated. Of all patients, 212 (70%) were male and the average age was 58 years old. Of the total, 37 patients (12.3%) had a history of atopy according to the following: 19 rhinitis (51.4%), 15 asthma (40.5%) and 3 (1%), atopic dermatitis. Obesity was present in 32% of the evaluated atopics. The mean of atopic patients was aged for 55, 92% O2 Sat, respiratory rate 27 per minute, CT > 50% in 22 patients (7.3%) and 3 patients died (1%). Of these who died, all were elderly (age over 60 years) and had comorbidities such as SH and obesity. Mean IgE total was 538UI/ml, and 3 patients presented IgE above 2000, all of them with clinical suggesting atopy (AD, asthma and rhinitis). The literature reports less severe outcomes in atopic patients affected by COVID-19. In the studied group, the frequency of atopy was lower than that observed in the literature for the general population and the tomographic impairment was lower than that of the non-atopic group. The atopic patients who died were elderly and had comorbidities.