The first official NHS guidelines on asthma and coronavirus have been published

7 April 2020, 10:34

Advice for asthma sufferers amid the coronavirus outbreak.

The NHS has published guidelines on what asthma sufferers should be doing during the coronavirus pandemic, as it is thought they are at greater risk of being severely affected by the disease.

National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) - which is the body that sets NHS guidelines - has released the following advice for asthma sufferers.

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According to The Sun, they have urged people with asthma to continue taking their medication as needed.

They advised people to continue to take their preventer inhaler every day as prescribed, while also continuing to keep their reliever inhaler with them incase symptoms worsen.

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Nice has also recommended that peoples should not share their inhalers with other people, and make sure to regularly clean equipment like mouth pieces and face masks.

The guidelines also advise that you should only attend appointments alone where possible.

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The World Health Organisation (WHO) states that asthma - along with diabetes and heart disease - is one of the conditions that makes a person “more vulnerable to becoming severely ill with the virus.”

Jessica Kirby, Head of Health Advice at Asthma UK, said: "People with lung conditions are more likely to experience complications and need hospital treatment.

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"Any respiratory infection can cause problems for people with asthma, and so far, evidence shows that coronavirus is no different."

Visit the NHS website for more information.

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