People Who Suffer From Asthma, Atopic Diseases Have Lower Risk of Getting Infected With COVID-19, Study Reveals

A new study led by researchers from the Queen Mary University of London analyzed the data from more than 16,000 adults in the UK between May 2020 and February 2021. It revealed that those with allergic conditions have a lower risk of getting infected with COVID-19.

They describe in full the findings of their study, titled "Risk factors for developing COVID-19: a population-based longitudinal study (COVIDENCE UK)," which was published in the journal Thorax.

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This photograph taken on December 2, 2021, shows a syringe and a screen displaying the SARS-Cov-2 mains variants : Alpha, Beta, Delta, Gamma and Omicron, in Toulouse. (Photo by Lionel BONAVENTURE / AFP) (Photo by LIONEL BONAVENTURE/AFP via Getty Images)

Allergic Conditions Linked to Lower COVID-19 Risk

In the study, adults were asked to answer a questionnaire regarding their age, height, weight, diet, lifestyle, any medications they take, or whether they have been vaccinated against COVID-19. Overall, there are 446 out of the 15,227 participants who said they had been previously infected with COVID-19.

Researchers found that those who suffer from atopic diseases had a 23% lower risk of COVID-19 infection, Mail Online reported. Atopic diseases include eczema and dermatitis, and hay fever or rhinitis, triggered by allergens. Additionally, those asthma sufferers have a 38% lower risk of infection even without taking steroid inhalers.

Contrary to previous studies, the study also found that older male patients or those with other underlying conditions were not at an increased risk of the deadly infection. However, those of Asian descent or who live in a crowded household have higher odds of contracting COVID-19.

Researchers found that Asian or Asian British adults had a double risk of testing positive for COVID-19 compared to British people. They explained that in every 0.5 additional people to the room, the risk also increases by 1.26 times.

Moreover, the team also found that those who take drugs to dampen down the immune response of the body were associated with 53% lower odds of getting the infection. However, researchers noted that this might reflect greater protection against the virus.

Other demographic information, such as age, sex, medical conditions, diet, and supplement use, were found to have no link with the risk of getting COVID-19. Researchers emphasized that their study is purely observational and cannot establish a cause, and should be further investigated.

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Allergic Conditions May Not Be As Protective Against New Strains

In the press release published in the weekly peer-reviewed medical trade journal BMJ, researchers noted that the research was conducted when the Delta and Omicron strains of SARS-CoV-2 appeared. That means it does not say whether allergic reactions could be as protective against these new strains.

They recommend conducting further studies on the matter to see whether allergic conditions could also lower the risk of infection. If so, these studies should also explore how it protects the body from the new strains of the virus.

Study co-author Professor Adrian Martineau of Queen Mary University said in the press release that the large, population-based prospective study reveals a little overlap between the risk variables for acquiring COVID-19 and those for ICU admission and mortality as reported in hospitalized groups.