Clinical practice guideline: Approach to childhood asthma in the era of COVID-19: The official statement endorsed by the Saudi Pediatric Pulmonology Association (SPPA)

Al-Shamrani, Abdullah; Al-Harbi, Adel S.; SA, Alhaider; AlHarbi, Saleh; Al-Harbi, Nasser S.; Alanazi, Alnashmi; Al Ahmadi, Turki S.

Abstract Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses that can infect humans, which may result in mild symptoms similar to those of the common cold. COVID-19 is most recent subtype similar or even worse than the two previous pandemic strains which were the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) and the Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV). The first cases of COVID-19 emerged in December 2019. Since then, the virus causing the disease has infected more than four million around the globe and led to death of hundreds of thousands of people. We think addressing the management of asthma in the era of this pandemic is important for the several reasons: high prevalence of asthma in Saudi Arabia, further, majorities were uncontrolled disease. The statement will provide special instructions and answers to common questions of physicians dealing with asthmatic children during this pandemic.