Problems of management of non-corona respiratory diseases in the era of COVID-19

Abstract

This pandemic, COVID-19 caused by the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, has not only devastated the public health, but also posed an immense impact on the societal, economical, and geopolitical conditions. The severe stress on essential health services has also adversely affected the prevalence, recognition, and management of non-COVID diseases. In particular, the management of respiratory diseases has suffered the most because of the clinical similarities between COVID-19 and non-COVID flu, respiratory allergies, pneumonias, and respiratory failure. Because of these similarities, some of the patients tend to avoid seeking treatment lest they be diagnosed as COVID-19 infection. Diagnostic tests such as spirometry and invasive investigations (bronchoscopies and thoracoscopies) are avoided by physicians for the fear of spread of the infection. Patients with acute worsening of asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease requiring nebulization therapy are thus not even entertained by medical facilities. Many patients themselves are often afraid of inhalation therapy. In this article, we have summarized the problems faced by the patients suffering from respiratory disorders and their physicians as well as some of the important issues related to their therapy during this pandemic.