World Asthma Day: Preventive Measures for Asthma Patients during COVID-19

Now a days it feels like the world is giving you an opportunity to be your own king/queen. But, something around you still doesn’t feel right. There is an eerie and a deathlike silence all around. Yes, the coronavirus outbreak has put us in such an ironical situation that we are even afraid of touching our own shadows. The initial lockdown stage and the house arrest was fun, but, with time and the increasing number of COVID-19 fatalities, we have become just the opposite of homesick (or not). We are sure that most of you must be yearning to go out and do trivial things like walking out of the house without wearing a mask. Doesn’t seem so trivial right? The way we took the world for granted might soon change. Insignificant things like avoiding to follow your asthma routine might become important. You might start to understand the importance of using an inhaler and you might even take a small setback as a sign of caution and get yourself checked. It’s said that, “Love is not what takes you by surprise and leaves you breathless, it’s called asthma.” And, if you have a chronic medical condition such as asthma, then you fall under one of the high risk groups, who might have increased chances of getting the coronavirus infection, says WHO (World Health Organization). On this World Asthma Day, you should take time to re-assess your asthmatic symptoms and take a note of the following things to protect yourself from becoming a COVID-19 patient:

• Continue with your asthma medications and your asthma routine that helps to keep your condition in check.
• If you are using a nebulizer at home, try to choose a location for using it such that the air does not recirculate in your house.
• Have enough supplies of your asthma medication with you or plan in advance for an emergency supply of medications.
• You should use a peak flow meter to track the peak flows. Maintain a diary of these readings along with your symptoms, so that it becomes easy to distinguish between asthma and COVID-19 symptoms and get an online consultation from your doctor if necessary.
• You should not get worried and stress about anything in general, as anxiety can worsen your asthma symptoms.
• You must follow the general precautions issued by WHO and health advisories to avoid getting infected from coronavirus:
  • Frequently wash your hands with water and alcohol based soap/hand rub.
  • Do not touch your eyes, nose and mouth before washing your hands.
  • Use a handkerchief or a tissue when you sneeze and cough.
  • Immediately contact your physician if you suspect you may have COVID-19.
  • Do not step out of your house. Follow the lockdown instructions strictly.

Taking precautions and following the advisories issued in public interest are the best ways to protect yourself and your family members from contracting COVID-19. If you are asthmatic, please don’t panic, try to stay calm and follow your routine with the new imposed restrictions of lockdown to be safe and healthy. Look out for most suitable health insurance plan, to get comprehensive coverage in case there’s a medical emergency. At Bajaj Allianz, we offer affordable health insurance plans for you, which cover the treatment related to asthma with the following terms and conditions:

• It’s not a pre-existing disease
• If you require hospitalization of more than 24 hours for the treatment
• If the treatment you take is a part of day care procedure

If you have asthma while purchasing a health insurance policy, then there will be a standard waiting period, as per each policy terms and conditions, before the coverage for the same begins. You can check out our health insurance plans by visiting our website – Bajaj Allianz General Insurance.