Atopic Dermatitis Does Not Appear to Affect COVID-19 Severity

Atopic dermatitis does not seem to affect the frequency of severity markers in patients hospitalized with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), according to study results presented at the American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (ACAAI) Annual Scientific Meeting, held virtually from November 11 to 15.

Researchers conducted a retrospective chart review of patients with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) at the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center and Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus and identified 275 patients with any history of atopic disease. The primary end point was admission to the intensive care unit (ICU); secondary end points included hospital length of stay, requirement of supplemental oxygen use, ICU length of stay, and intubation.

Results of the study showed that 43% of patients with history of atopic disease were admitted to the ICU compared with 44.7% of patients without history of atopic disease (P =-.84). Atopic dermatitis was insignificant in all secondary end points, including requirement for supplemental oxygen (P =.36), intubation rate (P =.92), and mortality rate (P =.19). Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) was seen more frequently in patients with atopic disease (38.8%) compared with patients without atopic disease (17.3%; P <.001). After adjusting for COPD presence, patients with atopic disease had an adjusted odds ratio for mortality of 0.55 (95% CI, 0.23-1.28; P =.16), although this trend was not observed in patients with asthma (P >.2 for all end points).

Patients with atopic dermatitis who are hospitalized with COVID-19 did not demonstrate an increase in severity markers. However, the study authors found that “[a]fter controlling for presence of COPD […] a statistical trend suggests possible protection in those with pre-existing atopic disease, but not asthma.”

Reference

Timberlake D, Narayanan D, Ogbogu P, et al. Effects of atopic disease on disease severity in COVID-19. Presented at: the American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (ACAAI) Annual Scientific Meeting (Virtual Experience); November 13-15, 2020. Abstract P350.